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Fantasy football lineup decisions have become even tougher to make due to COVID-19 outbreaks around the league the last few weeks. And now it's Week 17, which is the championship in most fantasy leagues. The latest injury and COVID news will inform fantasy managers' decisions to close out the 2021 season.
The Indianapolis Colts have been hit hard by COVID-19 in the last week, with starting quarterback Carson Wentz becoming the 15th player currently on the league's Reserve/COVID-19 on Tuesday. In addition to Wentz, linebacker Darius Leonard, guards Quenton Nelson and Mark Glowinski, right tackle Braden Smith, safety Khari Willis and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin are other starters on the list.
Will Wentz play in Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders? If Wentz doesn't play, who will start at quarterback for the Colts? How might it affect the rest of the offense? Keep reading to go into more depth on the Wentz situation and the Colts offense for Week 17.
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Is Carson Wentz Playing This Week Against the Raiders?
The Indianapolis Colts activated quarterback Carson Wentz from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday. He is now expected to start Sunday's game against the Las Vegas Raiders despite missing practice all week.
Fantasy managers should check back Sunday morning to ensure Wentz is officially active before inserting him into their starting lineups. This is an update to the previous news and reports from earlier in the week which are below.
Carson Wentz COVID and Injury Updates
Quarterback Carson Wentz's Week 17 status against the Raiders is to be determined, but the important thing is he'll at least have a chance to play after testing positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday. Under the league's old COVID-19 protocols, Wentz would've been ruled out for this week and would've had to quarantine for 10 days.
Fantasy managers that have been riding Wentz as their second signal-caller in two-QB leagues will obviously need to plan for a potential absence this week, which would be the 28-year-old's first missed game in his first season with the Colts.
Wentz hasn't been great in 2021, but he's been much better than what he was in his final season with the Eagles. Having an excellent offensive line in front of him and the league's best running back to hand the ball off to has taken a lot of pressure off Wentz's shoulders.
He has completed 62.8% of his passes for 3,230 yards and a respectable 25:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio, but he hasn't been in the QB1 picture at all in the Colts run-first offense and has only 460 passing attempts (17th in the league).
Who Will Start at QB for the Colts if Carson Wentz Doesn't Play?
Rookie sixth-rounder Sam Ehlinger is likely to start for the Colts in Week 17 against the Raiders if Carson Wentz doesn't clear the league's COVID-19 protocols by Sunday. Brett Hundley would be in line to be elevated from the practice squad to serve as Ehlinger's backup.
Ehlinger has taken all of 18 offensive snaps in his first season in the NFL in mop-up duty for the Colts in three blowout wins, and none of those snaps included him dropping back for a pass.
In three preseason games, the former Texas Longhorn went 21-for-31 for 288 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while rushing 11 times for 55 yards. It's fair to say that the Colts are really hoping that Wentz can play so that their playoff hopes don't rest in the hands of a 23-year-old inexperienced rookie.
What Will the Colts Offense Look Like if Carson Wentz is Out?
If quarterback Carson Wentz doesn't clear the COVID-19 protocols and cannot play in Week 17 against the Raiders, expect the Colts to lean even more on MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor, who leads the league in carries (297), rushing yards (1,626) and rushing touchdowns (17).
The Raiders will surely be stacking the box to sell out and stop the run, much like they did last week in their win over the Broncos, but Taylor could still be successful. It would be a big boost for the Colts O-line if Quenton Nelson, Mark Glowinski and Braden Smith return.
As long as game script remains favorable for Indianapolis and they don't fall behind by multiple scores, the coaching staff will try to avoid having Ehlinger drop back to pass. And when they do dial up a pass, expect it to come on short screen passes, crossing routes and underneath throws.
The Colts average the second-most rushing yards per game (154.9), but expectations for their offense must be tempered if Ehlinger is forced to start. Taylor's outlook as a must-start RB1 in fantasy football won't change, but all of Indy's pass-catchers (mainly Michael Pittman Jr.) should receive a significant downgrade in the rankings.
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