Week 2 at Atlanta
The Eagles got off to a slow start Week 1 but woke up quickly as Carson Wentz completed 72% of his passes, threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns and was not intercepted. This is what we can expect fro Wentz most weeks and the addition of DeSean Jackson is a huge upgrade of the receiving corps.
Philly heads to Atlanta to take on the Falcons who are 27th in aFPA to quarterbacks. The defense still seems weak in Atlanta and this could mean another big day offensively for the Eagles.
Wentz rates a strong QB1 for Week 2. He should be one all season long as Philadelphia has outstanding offensive weapons surrounding him. Start him in all leagues and formats.
Week 1 vs Washington
Carson Wentz only played in 11 games last season so the Eagles are going to need him to stay healthy with Nick Foles gone. When Wentz did play, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The Eagles are loaded with offensive weapons, and Wentz will benefit from that in 2019.
The Eagles open with the Redskins who were 13th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Wentz has had success against Washington including throwing for 306 yards and two touchdowns in his only meeting with them in 2018.
Wentz is going to be a top 10 quarterback almost every week, For Week 1, we love him as a top 5 fantasy quarterback. Wentz is also much better at home where he is 15-5. Start him in all leagues and formats.
Fantasy Upside
Carson Wentz has proven he can do the job when he is on the field. The fourth-year signal caller completed 69% of his passes last season and was on his way to a 4,000 passing yard season before he missed five games with an injury. He has thrown 54 touchdowns with only 14 interceptions over the past two seasons which included 24 starts. His quarterback rating eclipsed 100 both those seasons. Adding WR DeSean Jackson in the offseason should help his deep ball threat. Wentz has all the tools to be a top tier quarterback in 2019.
Fantasy Downside
Injuries are the key for Wentz and the Eagles. No more Nick Foles means they are depending on Wentz even more. He missed eight games over the last two seasons. Philly is hoping that Wentz will improve on his weaknesses as he still has forced the ball too much and needs to be on the same page with his receivers which hasn’t always been the case. Wentz win-loss record is only 23-17 which isn’t bad, but in two of his three seasons, he has had a losing record as the starter. Won’t affect his fantasy numbers, but just something to keep an eye on.
2019 Bottom Line
Wentz is on the verge of being an elite quarterback but we need to see more and he needs to stay healthy. Those question marks push him back in the rankings to a high-end QB2. He is actually being drafted higher than he should according to his ADP so unless you really believe he can be your starting fantasy quarterback, we recommend you pass on him as there are better choices earlier that have less risk.
Week 14 at Dallas Cowboys
The Eagles head to Dallas for a pivotal division match-up. Philadelphia has an implied team total of just 20.25 points, in the bottom third for Week 14 against a strong Cowboys defense. Dallas ranks around league average in aFPA to QBs. Carson Wentz is averaging 18.7 fantasy points in his last three games against Dallas, but anything under 19 makes it tough to reach QB1 status with this season's inflated statistics at the position. Wentz should post decent numbers but not approach elite production due to game pace and the implied team total.
Week 13 vs. Washington Redskins
The Philadelphia - Washington game has a low over/under of just 45 points. The Eagles are home favorites against a backup quarterback, which could lead to more rushing volume than usual this week. Washington is around league average in aFPA to QBs, and Carson Wentz will need to be efficient to post QB1 numbers this week. We are skeptical that happens, with back-to-back games of less than 35 pass attempts and less than 15 fantasy points.
Week 12 vs. New York Giants
The Eagles offense was embarrassed in the Superdome last week, but there may be indications of a Week 12 bounce back at home against the Giants. Wentz posted more than 24 fantasy points against the Giants earlier this year and had six consecutive 18-point or more games before the stinker last week. Philly also has an implied team total of 26 points, above average this week. We full expect Wentz to get back to posting QB1 numbers this week, especially with the Eagles potentially only being one game out of the division race with a win and Washington loss on Thanksgiving.
Week 11 at New Orleans Saints
The Eagles are riding the struggle bus lately, but a stop at Superdome station is always a good place to cure what ails in fantasy. A suspected shootout Sunday has the Eagles with an implied team total of more than 23 points, despite being eight-point underdogs. New Orleans is dead last in aFPA to QBs, firmly planting Wentz in QB1 territory this week. Wentz has 18+ fantasy points in all but his first game back from an ACL tear last year, making him one of the more consistent options this season as well.
Week 10 at Oakland Raiders
The Eagles have an implied team total of 25.25 points this week- respectable, but not elite. Carson Wentz will have to be efficient against a middle of the road Cowboys defense, ranked 15th in aFPA to QBs. Wentz is hot though with 12 touchdowns to just one interception over his last five games. Wentz also has multiple touchdowns in his last two games against the Cowboys and will add Golden Tate to his already top-tier passing game. Consider Wentz a QB1 in Week 10.
Week 8 at Jacksonville Jaguars (London)
The Eagles go across the pond to take on the Jaguars in their second home with an implied team total of just 23.5 points with the second-lowest over/under of Week 8 for this game. The Jaguars are top ten in aFPA to QBs and have only allowed 17+ points to a fantasy QB once this season. For these reasons, Carson Wentz is not in the QB1 conversation for Week 8.
Week 7 vs. Carolina Panthers
It took Carson Wentz one game to get acclimated after returning from an ACL, but his last three games have looked like the MVP candidate we saw a year ago. Seven touchdowns and no interceptions over that stretch, averaging more than 300 yards per game. The Panthers are just middle of the road in aFPA to QBs, meaning Wentz can be relied on for QB1 numbers in Week 7.
