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Carson Wentz has “fantasy sleeper” written all over him. Saying Dallas’ Dak Prescott was the best rookie quarterback in the NFL last season is akin to saying Justin Timberlake was the most talented member of N' Sync. While other rookie QBs like Jared Goff, Paxton Lynch and Christian Hackenberg had no fantasy value or actually had posted a negative fantasy value, Prescott had a first season for the ages, throwing 23 touchdown pass while only getting intercepted four times. What gets lost in all of the hullabaloo surrounding Prescott is how well his NFC East rival Wentz played during his rookie campaign.
His numbers do not jump out and hogtie you around the collar (3,782 passing yards, 16 TD, 14 INT, 150 rushing yards, two rushing TD), but he suited up for all 16 of his Philadelphia Eagles’ games and proved that he was more competent than incompetent, which is saying a ton compared to how other rookie signal callers fared last season. While Wentz had a very solid season, he was not exactly a fantasy wunderkind. Fantasy owners can be excused if they do not believe that Wentz will be the next Brady or Brees after he had as many touchdown tosses as Colin Kaepernick did and went an entire season without a three-TD game.
The fantasy needle is definitely pointing up for Wentz, though, not down. He is only 24, has an NFL body (6’5”, 237) and an NFL arm, plus he can maneuver well enough in the pocket so he can extend plays and make things happen downfield when his pass protection breaks down. He has shown much more than most of the 2016 rookie QB crop, and while Prescott has the makings of someone who could suffer a sophomore slump, Wentz has the makings of someone who is ready to become a superstar. Here are five things Wentz has going for him heading into the 2017 season:
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Why Wentz Will Prosper
Dominant Offensive Line
Even though Philadelphia traded starting left guard Allen Barbre to the Denver Broncos last week, the Eagles have the nucleus to have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL heading into 2017. Bookend tackles Lane Johnson and Jason Peters might be the top tackle tandem in the league. Pro Football Focus had Philadelphia’s O-line ranked No. 1 a few weeks ago before the Barbre trade. If losing Barbre, who might not have kept his starting spot through training camp, hurts the unit it should only be minimally. Wentz should have plenty of time to throw in 2017.
Wentz built a chemistry with tight end Ertz as last season wore on, and Ertz went on a stats rampage over his final five games, racking up 40 catches for 443 yards and three touchdowns. Ertz is primed for a 1,000-yard year if he stays healthy (and if Wentz stays healthy, too). That gives Wentz a weapon in 2017 that many young quarterbacks dream they had, and the budding pair can grow and improve together throughout the season. I would not bank on Wentz and Ertz becoming the next Brady and Gronkowski, but I would not be surprised if they surpass Seattle’s QB-TE combo of Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham over the next year or two.
Upgraded Receiving Corps
Philadelphia was nice enough to bolster Wentz’s porous receiving corps by signing Jeffery, and they got him on the cheap (one-year, $14 million). Jeffrey has the talent and tools of a No. 1 receiver and gives fantasy owners about a half-dozen good games per season, but his myriad of muscle pulls and strains make him as dependable as dollar-store underwear.
Jeffery had back-to-back super seasons in 2013 and 2014 where he piled up 174 receptions for 2,554 yards and 17 touchdowns, though, and Wentz had nobody who closely resembled a top wideout amongst his receivers last year (sorry, Jordan Matthews). Jeffery is gambling on himself that he will have a superb season that will land him the multi-year, multimillion dollar contract in 2018 that he did not get this past offseason. Having a motivated receiver like Jeffery on the field can only help Wentz.
Philadelphia also signed veteran speedster Smith after San Francisco released him, and that unheralded move might prove to be even better for Wentz than the Jeffrey signing. Smith is only 28 years old, yet he appeared like he was 48 during his two terrible seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Father Time was not the man slowing him down, though. Blaine Gabbert and the aforementioned Kaepernick can make any receiver look washed-up when they’re the ones passing him the ball. Smith has plenty of life in his legs and should be a great deep threat who can catch 55 passes for 850 yards for Wentz when he is not aiming for Ertz and Jeffery.
Blount has found his way to the City of Brotherly Love (and awesome cheese steaks). Wentz worked with a plethora of Smurf-like running backs last season, and none of them ran for over 700 yards or scored more than nine touchdowns. Blount had 1,161 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last season, and his power-back presence in the backfield will be refreshing for Wentz. Blount will force defenses to respect the run and should help open up some big plays for pass catchers when Wentz play-action fakes to him.
Wentz himself
Wentz is pretty darn good. The kid was not drafted with the second pick overall in 2016 because he was talentless and better off picking potatoes. He had a respectable rookie season without the benefit of a No. 1 RB or No. 1 WR on the field. Now with Jeffery, Smith and Blount added to his supporting cast, and with a year of experience under his helmet, Wentz should ascend to the next level this upcoming season.
Wentz will probably not be one of the top 15 quarterbacks taken in fantasy drafts when late August and early September roll around, but he has the physical skills and the mental makeup to quickly claim a spot within the top-15 by season’s end. He has even more value in dynasty and keeper leagues where fantasy owners can hitch their wagons to him for multiple seasons. Thinking Wentz can make the same second-year jump Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota made last season is far from ridiculous.
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