Ah, fantasy football. As much as we all enjoy wondering which third string receiver is going to see some receptions in the absence of a starter, nothing quite overrides the head vs heart decision of whether or not to start the stars from your favorite team. This week, that decision should be a little easier. Whether it’s PPR, One-day Fantasy football, or any format for that matter, here are five reasons to start Carson Wentz this week.
Just a deep ball away…
Carson Wentz impressed during the first outing of his sophomore season, completing 26-39 pass attempts for 307 YDS, 2 TD, 1 INT, good enough for 12.52 points in NFL.com Fantasy scoring. The most exciting part of this however is that if Wentz had been on target on two deep bombs to Torrey Smith, there would have been an extra 70-yards or so and two more touchdowns.
There’s no guarantee that Wentz will work out those kinks in week two, but the Eagles showed a willingness to go deep, something they simply couldn’t do last year. The playbook didn’t open out emphatically, but the revamped receiving corps allowed Zach Ertz to haul in all eight of his passes and lead the team in receiving.
Whether Wentz decides he wants to find Torrey Smith deep down the field, open up the middle with Nelson Agholor, or direct all traffic to Alshon Jeffery, the Eagles have an open book when it comes to playmakers, with Wentz finding eight receivers in the first week. If the Chiefs are able to shutdown one aspect of the Eagles Offense, expect others to open up.
Stacking options:
Whether you’ve been able to find Agholor on the waiver wire or decided to double down on Alshon Jeffery in the draft, there are plenty of options to pair up with Wentz…just maybe not LeGarrette Blount. Wentz spread the ball around so smoothly last week that it’s hard to select Wentz without itching to take a shot on a certain Zach Ertz or Nelson Agholor as well.
Get those #AirYards, get those Tuddys.
About a week ago:
Tom Brady may be the greatest of all time, but the Chiefs Defense bought it to him in the season opener. Brady actually racked up less points than Wentz in Fantasy than the face of the Philadelphia Eagles when facing the Chiefs just over one week ago. However, while the Chiefs kept Brady scoreless, they still allowed 267 passing yards.
Terrance Mitchell who was called up to the plate looked extremely scrappy against Cooks on the outside and gave up four penalties along the way. Without Eric Berry, the Eagles passing attack arguably looks as primed as it ever has for a big game…and that all starts with Carson Wentz.
If Tom Brady can still launch an assault against a team that literally position themselves to allow him to dictate the game until a counter-attacking second half, then a more aggressive look should give Doug Pederson and Carson Wentz some very favorable windows of opportunity.
Defy the expectations:
Ah, trap games. The Steelers, the Falcons, the Patriots. The Eagles have seen it all before in recent years and for some reason simply seem to excel under the limelight when the odds are stacked against them. This is no different. Reid is 8-3 against former assistants and the Chiefs are beyond formidable at home.
Only 4 times in the Reid/Sutton era has an opposing QB thrown for 300+ yards in KC. None occurred when Eric Berry missed 10 games in '14.
— Chris Raybon (@ChrisRaybon) September 13, 2017
The problem here is that both teams are ball-hogs. The Eagles led the league in time of possession last year, with the Chiefs not far behind. This is going to be a scrappy game-a coaching chess match.. But if the Defense sit too deep to contain the Eagles trio of wideouts, it will be dink-and-dunk central as the Chiefs aim to stop the big-play, and in a PPR league, every completion matters. If they play in man-coverage, then expect a lot of deep shots and big plays from a quarterback who’s turning heads each and every week.
History:
Let’s take a closer look at last season, where Wentz had two weapons at most and a rollercoaster season of offensive unrest and instability. (Per CBS Sports.)
| WK | DATE | OPP | RESULT | GS | PAATT | PACMP | PAYD | PATD | PAINT | RATE | SACKED | YLS | RUATT | RUYD | RUAVG | RULG | RUTD | FL | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/11 | CLE | W 29-10 | Yes | 37 | 22 | 278 | 2 | 0 | 101.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.50 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| 2 | 09/19 | @CHI | W 29-14 | Yes | 34 | 21 | 190 | 1 | 0 | 86.6 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 1.67 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | 09/25 | PIT | W 34-3 | Yes | 31 | 23 | 301 | 2 | 0 | 125.9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10.00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| 4 | BYE | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 5 | 10/09 | @DET | L 24-23 | Yes | 33 | 25 | 238 | 2 | 1 | 102.8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 7.00 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| 6 | 10/16 | @WAS | L 27-20 | Yes | 22 | 11 | 179 | 0 | 0 | 77.7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1.00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | 10/23 | MIN | W 21-10 | Yes | 28 | 16 | 138 | 1 | 2 | 52.4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1.20 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 8 | 10/30 | @DAL | L 29-23 | Yes | 43 | 32 | 202 | 1 | 0 | 91.4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -3 | -3.00 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 9 | 11/06 | @NYG | L 28-23 | Yes | 47 | 27 | 364 | 0 | 2 | 64.5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | -1.00 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 10 | 11/13 | ATL | W 24-15 | Yes | 36 | 25 | 231 | 0 | 0 | 86.7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 2.50 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | 11/20 | @SEA | L 26-15 | Yes | 45 | 23 | 218 | 2 | 2 | 61.2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2.00 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 12 | 11/28 | GB | L 27-13 | Yes | 36 | 24 | 254 | 0 | 1 | 75.5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 33 | 8.25 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 13 | 12/04 | @CIN | L 32-14 | Yes | 60 | 36 | 308 | 1 | 3 | 58.2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 5.33 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 14 | 12/11 | WAS | L 27-22 | Yes | 46 | 32 | 314 | 1 | 1 | 86.7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2.50 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 17 |
| 15 | 12/18 | @BAL | L 27-26 | Yes | 42 | 22 | 170 | 0 | 1 | 52.7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 2.00 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 16 | 12/22 | NYG | W 24-19 | Yes | 24 | 13 | 152 | 1 | 1 | 70.1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 27 | 6.75 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 17 | 01/01 | DAL | W 27-13 | Yes | 43 | 27 | 245 | 2 | 0 | 93.7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 13.00 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
Wentz had 25 points by that same merit in week one, per CBS Sports...matching his highest total last season. The game he recorded that? Against Pittsburgh in week three where he had a rushing attack that was balanced and help from his wideouts. The signs point to a strong and busy day from Carson Wentz, so if he’s on your bench…it may be worth activating him soon.
Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
