The Eagles made quarterback Carson Wentz the second overall selection of the 2016 NFL Draft. Wentz went on to show quite a bit of promise during his rookies campaign, particularly during a 3-0 start that saw him complete nearly 65 percent of his passes for an average of 256 yards per game and a 5-0 TD/INT ratio. Some growing pains would eventually set in, as the Eagles would go a disappointing 4-9 the rest of the way with Wentz riding a roller coaster of inconsistency. All-in-all, his first professional campaign should be considered a relative success that can certainly be built upon.

Wentz is viewed as the way forward for the franchise, and rightly so at this point, so the Philadelphia front office went to work building around the young QB this offseason. Gone is Dorial Green-Beckham. Down the depth chart slides Nelson Agholor. Talented tight end Zach Ertz is still in place, as is steady slot man Jordan Matthews.

Joining Ertz and Matthews this season will be oft-injured, one-time Pro Bowler Alshon Jeffery along with veteran deep-ball threat Torrey Smith. This group of four undoubtedly supplies Wentz with plenty of viable directions to go with the football in virtually any passing situation. There is one main question surrounding the Eagles passing game headed into fantasy football draft season. Is Wentz ready to make as many as three different wide receivers viable in standard formats?

Current ADP trends around the industry have Jeffery right on the cusp of WR1 status in typical 12-team leagues. Given the fact that he missed 11 games over the past two seasons in Chicago and will be in a new system in Philadelphia, that may be pushing it just a bit, but his talent is not in question. Between 2013 and 2014, the now 27-year-old receiver combined for 2,554 yards and 17 scores while playing in all 32 regular-season games for the Bears.

Despite the injuries during the last couple of years, Jeffery has still averaged five receptions for better than 77 yards per game since 2015. He might not be a sure-fire No. 1 at the position, but he holds serious upside as a WR2 and, as previously mentioned, will line up alongside other route runners that can keep opposing secondaries honest.

Of Jeffery’s new teammates, Matthews has earned a reputation as a reliable slot receiver since entering the league in 2014. Though he has teamed up with four different starting quarterbacks over his first three seasons, the former Vanderbilt University star has remained routinely productive for fantasy purposes.

 

Rec / G

Yards / G

Catch%

TD

2014

4.2

54.5

65.0

8

2015

5.3

62.3

67.5

8

2016

5.2

57.4

62.4

3

Matthews spot on the Eagles depth chart is concrete, and among the top three wide receivers in Philadelphia, he is the only one that has spent a significant amount of time working with Wentz. The way things seem to be shaping up around fantasy circles, Matthews can be had at a nice WR3, or even WR4, value. Finally having a partner that can take the top off a defense will only help his cause.

Although he did demonstrate his skills with a league-leading 20.1 yards per catch in 2015, Torrey Smith spent the 2016 season mostly in fantasy obscurity as a part of the 49ers’ trainwreck of an offense. To say he is entering his seventh NFL season in a better situation would be one of the most obvious sentiments regarding any player at any position.

Among the Philly pass catchers, Smith is almost certainly going to be the most volatile fantasy performer in 2017. He is appropriately wearing the “Boom or Bust” label right now, but the plus side is that there is likely to be very little risk taking him in the last round or two of fantasy drafts. Smith sits as a fringe flex option at the moment and an injury to any aforementioned teammate could make his value soar.