Fantasy Index

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Factoid

Colts WR

Will Indianapolis have a big-time wide receiver?

The hope is that a new city and coaching staff will get Carson Wentz back on track. With better stuff around him, maybe he can get back to being the emerging star he was back in 2017. I think he’ll be one of the second 10 quarterbacks chosen.

But Wentz in the first five years of his career hasn’t had much success throwing to wide receivers. He has not, in fact, ever had a 900-yard wide receiver. Using PPR scoring, he’s never had a wide receiver finish with top-20 numbers.

PHILADELPHIA WIDE RECEIVERS (last 5 years)
YearPlayerTgtRecYdsAvgTDPPRRk
2017Alshon Jeffery1205778913.89195.921
2017Nelson Agholor956276812.48193.523
2018Alshon Jeffery926584313.06185.327
2016Jordan Matthews1177380411.03171.444
2018Nelson Agholor976473611.54165.634
2020Greg Ward79534197.96133.359
2019Alshon Jeffery734349011.44122.260
2020Travis Fulgham673853914.24115.966
2019Nelson Agholor69393639.3396.075
2017Torrey Smith673643011.9290.774
2016Nelson Agholor693636510.1287.986
2020Jalen Reagor543139612.8187.291
2016Dorial Green-Beckham743639210.9287.287
2018Jordan Matthews282030015.0262.0105
2019Greg Ward40282549.1159.9101
2020DeSean Jackson261423616.9144.8125
2017Mack Hollins221622614.1144.6115
2019DeSean Jackson10915917.7236.9129
2019J.J. Arcega-Whiteside221016916.9132.9136
2020John Hightower291016716.7028.8147
2020Quez Watkins13710615.1123.6154
2020Alshon Jeffery13611519.2123.5155
2016Paul Turner14912614.0021.6145
2020J.J. Arcega-Whiteside848521.3020.5160
2016Bryce Treggs1238026.7011.7164
2018Kamar Aiken76538.8011.3169
2017Marcus Johnson85459.009.5168
2019Deontay Burnett424824.006.8176
2018Shelton Gibson314848.005.8180
2020Deontay Burnett43196.304.9200
2017Shelton Gibson32115.503.1187

The question of why can be debated. The Eagles haven’t been overloaded with talented players at the position. They’ve also had Zach Ertz in recent years, who’s listed as a tight end but arguably operates more like a wide receiver. Ertz has gone over 100 catches.

Philadelphia’s wide receivers last year were led by unheralded Greg Ward (a quarterback in college) and Travis Fulgham (who had been released by the Lions).

Nonetheless, Wentz hasn’t had much of a track record of doing great things with wide receivers, and the Colts don’t have a wide receiver who’s looking super juicy for 2021. T.Y. Hilton has had some good seasons, but he’s a small guy at the tail end of his career. Michael Pittman and Parris Campbell have joined them in recent years, but neither has yet established themselves as big-time threats.

I haven’t stacked a board yet, but I’m thinking I’ll have Pittman (pictured) as the highest-ranked Indianapolis receiver. He will not, however, be in the top 20 at the position.

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index