Fantasy Football Managers Rejoice as Carson Wentz is 'Likely to Start' in Week 2 if Kyler Murray Not Cleared

Minnesota's backup might have a chance to stamp the starting job in the prized offseason acquisition's stead.

Sep 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz (11) after a play during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The first half of the Minnesota Vikings' opener seemed like a looming disaster. Trailing the Packers early, quarterback Kyler Murray threw an ugly interception and was knocked out of the game with a concussion.

Carson Wentz took over and led the Vikings to a comeback, 17-point win where key Minnesota fantasy players had quite the afternoon.

If the latest reports are true, it appears he'll have a good chance to keep the momentum going.

Carson Wentz 'Likely to Start' if Kyler Murray Remains Out in Week 2

According to ESPN's Dan Graziano, the Vikings are likely to start Carson Wentz in Week 2 if Kyler Murray (head) fails to clear concussion protocol.

This comes as no surprise. Wentz dug the team out of an early 12-3 deficit and was 2-2 as a starter last year. The continued struggles of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy have left the veteran as the best option currently for a loaded Vikings roster.

The greatest consequence of this news is the opportunity that arises for the former No. 2 overall pick, Wentz. Murray struggled early in Sunday's game before suffering the injury, which is why Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio muses if the backup might become the starter with another quality effort against the Bears:

Could Carson Wentz play his way into the Vikings' QB1 job? https://t.co/jRq71jbjUh

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 16, 2026

Fantasy Football Impact: Carson Wentz 'Likely to Start' Week 2 if Murray Remains Out

From a fantasy football perspective, Wentz keeping the job is extremely interesting. The team scored 36 offensive points.

Justin Jefferson exploded for a 8 receptions, 92 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns. He ran 100% of the routes and drew 4 targets than anyone else on the team (9 total). A functional QB that can get Jettas the ball is good enough -- and a major upgrade over everyone else since the start of 2025.

T.J. Hockenson was second on the team in targets (5) and caught a touchdown, which earned him TE9 status in half-PPR formats. He's a fine streamer in what profiles to be a high-scoring game against Chicago.

Jordan Addison might be the buy-low receiver of the week across the entire league. Carolina's WR2, Jalen Coker, just torched the Bears due to dodging the Jaycee Horn matchup, and Addison ran 93.3% of the routes but only drew 2 targets. He averaged 78.0 yards per game in Wentz's four starts last year.

Minnesota worked out three running backs with Jordan Mason (thumb) ailing, so Aaron Jones could benefit from a heavy workload in a productive offense with Wentz at the helm. Rookie Demond Claiborne could be active with an opportunity for the first time as a pro, too.

Optimism was plentiful in Murray's arrival to Kevin O'Connell's offense, so it's not necessarily a downgrade to these players if he's able to suit up. But, Wentz now has a multi-game sample in the enviornment of producing quality fantasy outputs. Managers should be much more confident in these options if Wentz is the starter, but Week 2's matchup could be fireworks as Ben Johnson tries to break the NFL's single-season scoring record.