X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Carson Wentz the Commander: Fantasy Impact

carson wentz fantasy football rankings NFL DFS lineup picks

QB Carson Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL offseason. Kev breaks down the fantasy football impact of this move for all players involved.

The first official QB of the Washington Commanders will be the former second overall pick, Carson Wentz. Wentz has been tough to watch since his injury-shortened 2017 season, but teams continue to trade for him with the hope that he can regain some semblance of that year's near-MVP form.

Wentz is still a capable rusher who does not throw many picks but the throws have been quite questionable (to say the least). The Colts falling short of a playoff appearance this past season can solely be placed on Wentz's shoulders given his failures in the final game of the season. Jacksonville was ready to move onto 2022 but Wentz's frightened eyes could not see past the line of scrimmage and it resulted in a back-breaking loss that eventually sent him packing.

After news of Russell Wilson heading to Denver and Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay, this wasn't the move that many Washington fans were hoping for. Will fantasy managers feel the same about him and his new teammates in 2022?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Carson Wentz's Fantasy Impact in Washington

He heads away from the friendly confines of an indoor stadium to the slaughterhouse that is FedEx Field. Not that FedEx isn't filled with great fans or (football) history, just a brutal turf that has taken the legs from under Alex Smith and Robert Griffin III.

Wentz is historically quite injury-prone due to the nature of his play in and out of the pocket. He is great at shedding tacklers, but he lets that get too far as he will seek contact rather than protecting himself. This is great for the sake of his fantasy production but awful for his ability to stay on the field. He has played 69 games out of 81 possible over the past five seasons and dealt with back, knee, and foot injuries in this span. Wentz seemingly has not been the same since his 2017 knee injury which sidelined him throughout the Eagles' Super Bowl run.

In relation to fantasy, he remains a viable option at QB thanks to his aforementioned rushing ability. Over the past three seasons, Wentz has averaged 3.8 rush attempts and 16.3 yards per game with 7 total TD in this span. While this may not seem like much, it is equivalent to an extra 50 passing yards per game. Rushing isn't even the primary source of his value as Wentz does have three seasons with at least 27 passing TD in which he threw exactly seven INT.

Wentz's per-game QB finishes by season:

2016 - QB29 (rookie)

2017 - QB2

2018 - QB18 (torn ACL/LCL from year prior)

2019 - QB13

2020 - QB18

2021 - QB18 (preseason foot fracture and Week 2 high-ankle)

Does Wentz have upside? Yes. He can play at a high-end QB2 and maybe low-end QB1 level for fantasy. Just do not expect much more given the limited array of weapons in Washington and his diminished body after all of these injuries.

 

Impact on Washington's Skill Players

Antonio Gibson

Carson Wentz is objectively a better QB than Taylor Heinicke and will logically make Antonio Gibson better to a certain degree. However, one of the most important boons to Gibson's value is not the addition of Wentz but the potential departure of JD McKissic. Gibson is an interesting case overall due to his 2021 shin injury that couldn't heal due to him playing weekly. Gibson gutted out 16 games with 300 touches and finished as RB12 in total points while just RB19 in PPG.

Gibson is set up for a much better 2022 season assuming he comes in healthy. His efficiency should match his incredible 2020 numbers rather than the injured 2021 while Wentz's presence potentially creates more touchdown opportunities for the offense. If Gibson takes over just half of McKissic's role as well, the sky is the limit given his history as a receiver in college.

Terry McLaurin

McLaurin has the most to gain or lose with the addition of Carson Wentz. While he has found moderate success with mediocre QBs over the past few seasons, McLaurin's true upside remains in question. He finished as WR25 overall this past season with Heinicke and has fluttered around the low-end WR2 range throughout his 3-year career.

While Wentz's career TD rate should be a plus for the offense, will he and McLaurin have the same type of relationship he and Michael Pittman Jr. did in 2021? McLaurin is not the typical archetype of WR Wentz favors. He likes the big-bodied, possession-style receiver (Pittman, Ertz, Jeffery) he can throw in a range of that hauls it in with box-outs of defenders.

Yes, Wentz will take his fair amount of deep shots that should go McLaurin's way, but will the passing offense be consolidated towards the soon-to-be 27-year old that never projected as an alpha? McLaurin's talent is not so much in question but if he and Wentz cannot form a solid connection early, it is hard to imagine anything more than a plateau that's built the past few years.

The best bet would be to gauge the market first before reacting one way or another as McLaurin is often reached for in drafts by believers who see a WR1 that's never come to fruition. He has the ability to separate and haul in contested catches, but is that enough for the ever-fickle Wentz? Time will tell.

Curtis Samuel

Samuel was a big-time signing for Washington after his breakout in 2020. Unfortunately, he missed most of 2021 due to soft-tissue injuries that lingered from the preseason. Samuel played just five games and touched the ball 10 times for a total of 38 yards and no touchdowns.

Nevertheless, a 3-year, $34 million dollar contract is nothing to scoff at and pretty much guarantees a significant role for Samuel early on if he is healthy. His ability with the ball in his hands and speed are undeniable. The only issue will be getting him the ball which could be troublesome if Wentz continues to play scared. Luckily, Samuel can operate on jet sweeps that get him the ball behind the line-of-scrimmage and mitigate Wentz if he were to be cumbersome to the offense.

Given that Samuel's price should be near the back end of any draft in 2022, he is a worthwhile pickup as an upside WR.

Logan Thomas

Thomas had a rough 2021 after becoming a breakout darling in 2020. Despite moderate expectations, Thomas failed to return much value in fantasy due to multiple lower-body injuries; the second of which ended his season and could possibly linger in the next.

Thomas is talented by all means and has been held back by a mediocre supporting staff but it is hard to believe he receives much of a leash even upon return from his torn ACL. With Wentz in town and the potential trade or signing of a free agent starter/rookie, Thomas will be left to fight for his spot on top of his attempt to return to 100%.

Do not have much hope for this season or even beyond given his limited career as a tight end and potential loss of juice post-injury.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tyler Soderstrom

Returns to A's Lineup
Tyler Warren

Sidelined on Wednesday with Toe Injury
Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP