Fantasy Impact: Carson Wentz Traded to the Commanders

A new team won't help Wentz, but it could be good news for Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson.

A day after the Denver Broncos acquired Russell Wilson, the Washington Commanders have traded for Carson Wentz. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes a pair of third-round picks going to the Colts in exchange for the veteran signal-caller.

Wentz quickly fell out of favor after one season in Indianapolis, but his numbers weren’t terrible from a fantasy perspective. In fact, he finished as the QB13 based on points despite the fact that he committed 12 turnovers. Still, he has seen his fantasy points per game average drop in four straight seasons, and I wouldn’t expect a major increase in Washington. In fact, I don't see his late-round flier status changing much.

Robert Scheer/IndyStar/USA TODAY Network

I do like the move for the value of the Commanders’ offense threats, though, at least compared to the option of Taylor Heinicke being under center again. Terry McLaurin should be drafted with more confidence after an up-and-down 2021 season, and Wentz’s presence will make Curtis Samuel a bit more attractive as a late-round choice.

Wentz should also help the value of RB Antonio Gibson, who could be a more featured option in the offense if J.D. McKissic leaves as a free agent. In 2021, Wentz ranked sixth among quarterbacks in terms of his percentage of passes to running backs (21.9).

On the flip side, the Colts now have a huge void at the quarterback position. In fact, the lone signal-caller the team has under contract is Sam Ehlinger. The good news is that the team doesn’t take on a dead cap hit because of the trade, and they’re nearly $70 million under the salary cap per Spotrac. That’s the most in the entire league right now.

That means they’ll likely be signing a free-agent quarterback in the very near future. The top options will be Jameis Winston, Teddy Bridgewater, Marcus Mariota and Mitchell Trubisky. The Colts could also go after Jimmy Garoppolo in a potential trade.

Regardless, the eventual No. 1 quarterback in Indianapolis will have a big impact on the value of Michael Pittman Jr., who is the lone fantasy-relevant wideout on the current roster. Remember, T.Y. Hilton and Zach Pascal are both slated to be free agents.

Stay tuned, folks.

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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!