Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz is looking to have a big season on the field, which would equal a big season in fantasy football.
When it comes to drafting quarterbacks in fantasy football, there are two schools of thought when it comes to drafting quarterbacks according to the great Matthew Berry: either be the first guy in your league to draft a quarterback, or the last one.
With reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes is likely to go in the first two rounds and will undoubtedly be one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy football again, it might be a better value to wait a few more rounds to take an underrated passer like Wentz while loading up on quality running backs and wide receivers.
2019 Carson Wentz Fantasy Stats
Wentz had a good, not great season in the driver's seat for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2019, as he threw for 4,039 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Those stats made him the ninth-best quarterback in fantasy football last season, and it's important that he was throwing to what was arguably the most injured receiving core in football last season.
It was also the first year since 2016 that Wentz was able to escape the injury bug that has plagued him throughout his young NFL career, so hopefully the talented passer can stay healthy for the foreseeable future.
When it comes to his game-by-game statistics, Wentz is not as consistent of a passer as guys of his caliber like Matt Ryan, but he has the high ceiling and the elite deep ball to keep him in the top-10 fantasy quarterback conversation for the next few years with a clean bill of health.
2020 Carson Wentz Fantasy Outlook
As Robert Mays, formerly with The Ringer, wrote in a recent article, Wentz could have value as a late-round quarterback due to his upside shown in his 2017 Pro Bowl season and his willingness to take shots with the deep ball:
“When Wentz was at his best in 2017, he ranked fourth in average intended air yards (9.9) and deep-ball percentage (14.8 percent). In Philly’s Week 1 win against Washington last season, Wentz and Jackson connected on two touchdowns of 50-plus yards. Wentz wants to push the ball down the field, and with Jackson and rookie speedster Jalen Reagor in the mix, the Eagles have the personnel to make that happen. Wentz is currently being drafted as the QB9. That could be his floor if he stays healthy.”
As Mays touched on, the Eagles have acquired some talented young receivers to help Wentz this season, drafting Jalen Reagor, John Hightower and Quez Watkins back in April.
While Pro Bowl wide receiver Alshon Jeffery may not be healthy in time for Week 1, Wentz still has a talented group of skill players to throw to.
The new rookies combined with one of the best tight end duos in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, veteran speedster DeSean Jackson, and passing catching running backs Miles Sanders and Boston Scott give the Eagles a bevy of talent.
The injury history for most of the players listed above is still murky, but that flip from throwing to third-stringers to throwing for a deep receiving unit could boost Wentz's fantasy numbers in 2020 as long as he can stay healthy.
With that uptick in young skill players, expect to see Wentz's passing stats jump somewhere closer to 4,400 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Rank at QB Position: 5th-10th
Wentz is certainly a high risk-high reward quarterback when it comes to fantasy quarterbacks, as his upside combined with his lengthy injury history could make him a stay-away in certain owners' minds.
The former North Dakota State passer averaged 19.7 fantasy points per game with CBS Sports last year, including seven games with at least 23 points.
Wentz has a wide range in terms of where he could land at his position. Hecould finish anywhere from fifth to tenth amongst quarterbacks, and being that he's ranked 102nd on ESPN's ranking, drafting him anywhere from the seventh to tenth rounds seems reasonable in most leagues.
When it comes to filling out your roster, Wentz should either be one of the last starting fantasy quarterbacks drafted or one of the first backups quarterbacks selected. When the run of quarterbacks inevitably happens in your draft, Wentz should either start or end that run.
Wentz should not be the only quarterback on a fantasy roster due to his injury history, but pairing him with another mid-round passer like Matthew Stafford or Tom Brady allows players to pick the best match-ups to maximize points at the most vital position in all of football.
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