Carson Wentz, Nelson Agholor Fantasy Outlook After Eagles QB's Return vs. Colts

The Philadelphia Eagles announced Monday that Carson Wentz would be the team's starting quarterback for its Week 3 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts at Lincoln Financial Field, ending his recovery from a torn ACL suffered last December. 

For fantasy owners, a few questions have emerged: How valuable will Wentz be going forward? And will his addition to the starting lineup benefit wide receiver Nelson Agholor?    

In terms of the first question, Wentz will probably have some rust to shake off, but it's a safe bet to consider him in the QB1 range even at a deep position. 

Last year, Wentz was the front-runner for MVP before his injury, throwing for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 13 games. Despite missing three contests, he finished fifth in standard-scoring fantasy leagues. 

And yet, Wentz isn't without his risks. The Eagles are banged up in their receiver corps, with Alshon Jeffery yet to appear in a game. Mack Hollins is on injured reserve, and Mike Wallace is out for at least several weeks with a fractured fibula. 

It's likely the Eagles will encourage Wentz to be slightly less aggressive when he runs the ball. Last season, he rushed for 299 yards, adding a small but not insignificant 30 fantasy points to his total. It's unlikely he will completely change his playing style, but the Eagles would probably prefer he hit the ground rather than fight for a few extra yards. 

Still, Wentz showed major progression in his second year, and while he may start off the season a bit rusty, there's no reason to expect that growth to stall. He should once again be a top option for fantasy owners, in other words.

As for Agholor, the team's epidemic of injuries at wideout should mean he will bear an even higher workload. The Eagles have already relied upon him heavily, and he has 16 receptions (on 22 targets) for 121 yards and a touchdown. He also has two carries for 18 yards and even threw a 15-yard completion to Nick Foles in Week 1. 

The Eagles have been finding creative ways to keep Agholor involved, which shouldn't change under Wentz. 

In Wentz's 13 appearances last year, Agholor caught 48 passes for 663 yards and seven touchdowns. In the eight games since (including last year's postseason), Agholor posted 45 receptions for 393 yards and two scores.

Agholor clearly has established a strong rapport with Foles, but he's grown over the past year into a playmaker and a crucial part of the Eagles attack. That will continue under Wentz—who, by the way, is a clear upgrade over Foles—leaving Agholor with a strong WR2 status in PPR formats and keeping him as a solid flex choice in non-PPR leagues.