Should I Pickup Sam Ehlinger For Fantasy Football Week 8? Waiver Wire Outlook

There's been a quarterback change for the Indianapolis Colts after Matt Ryan's disastrous start to the 2022 NFL season. Ryan threw for just nine touchdowns to nine interceptions and fumbled 11 times in his first seven starts with the team.

He's reportedly dealing with a shoulder injury, but Colts head coach Frank Reich said Sam Ehlinger would be the starter moving forward, regardless of Ryan's health.

That leaves fantasy managers will two important questions: who is Ehlinger and should he be picked up in fantasy football? We've got the answers.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Sam Ehlinger Player Profiler

Ehlinger was a four-star recruit heading into his college football career where he starred at the University of Texas, throwing for 11,436 yards and 94 touchdowns. He also added nearly 2,000 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns in his four-year stint as a Longhorn.

However, those eye-popping numbers led him to be just a sixth-round selection by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2021 NFL draft. As shown above, he has some impressive stats and metrics that are promising for his future, but it's tough to know what to expect for a player making his first NFL start.

Should I Pick Up Sam Ehlinger in Fantasy Football?

Ehlinger is now a must-roster in all Superflex/two-quarterback leagues since he's expected to start for the rest of the season. The question is whether or not he's worth taking a flyer on in single-quarterback leagues. The answer lies in how deep the rosters are in your fantasy leagues. "Flyer" is the perfect word to sum up if you should add him. If you have plenty of room on your bench and are intrigued by the unknown upside, he could be worth a shot.

If not, he's probably not worth picking up since his likelihood of success is low. Although the Colts have some high-end playmakers like Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr., the offensive line is among the worst units in the league and it's hard to see a player who has never thrown a pass in a regular season game being set up for success.

The writing is on the wall for the Colts' front office and coaching staff, and this move to Ehlinger could simply be signaling a rebuild is finally coming in Indianapolis. Additionally, he could have a short leash with Nick Foles serving as his backup for at least a few weeks.

More Fantasy Football Analysis