This week my co-worker, Jeff Krisko, suggested that starting Carson Wentz is the smart fantasy football play. While I am a big fan of Carson Wentz and what he has managed to do this season, I am not sure he is the guy I would go with this week. If you are looking for a star performance in week six, then you should start Deshaun Watson.
Carson Wentz has quietly been one a mid-level QB1 to start this season, but he is by no means a sure thing. He lit the Arizona Cardinal’s up in week five, throwing for 304 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. But in his previous two performances, he threw for an average of 200 yards and 1 touchdown. So while he has definitely made strides in his second season, he is still a match-up based play.
And his match-up this week leaves a lot to be desired. He is playing a Carolina Panthers defense that has given up the 7th fewest points to starting quarterbacks this season. What makes this match-up even worse is that this is a Thursday Night Football game that he will be playing on the road. There are too many factors that could lead to a disappointing performance for me to be comfortable starting Carson Wentz.
So if you are comfortable with setting a quarterback with a high floor in your line-up, go ahead and Carson Wentz. But if you aren’t just looking for a high floor, but a high ceiling, then the clear answer for you is to start Deshaun Watson.
I am not sure if you can call a rookie quarterback a no-brainer start, but in the case of Deshaun Watson, I think you have to make an exception. Five weeks into the season, he is the #2 fantasy football quarterback in standard scoring leagues. And he wasn’t even the starter in week one.
His numbers to date are better than Aaron Rodgers. His numbers are better than Tom Brady. Will they stay that way? Of course not. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be riding the hot hand. And through the last two games, no hand has been hotter.
Over his last two games, Deshaun Watson has put up over 250 yards passing and 5 touchdowns in each of those games. Since Will Fuller has come back from IR, that offense has been rolling and looks like it could be one of the most exciting and football.
And the best news of all – Deshaun Watson gets to play the Cleveland Browns. As you may already know, I am a strong advocate of starting any and all players who get to play the Cleveland Browns. I have a good reason for this. The Browns have given up the 4th most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.
So if you think you are playing it safe by starting Carson Wentz, think again. A Thursday night game against a defense that doesn’t allow quarterbacks to score should worry you. But if you are like me, you believe that there is nothing safer than starting a top two fantasy football quarterback against one of the worst defenses in football. And that means you start Deshaun Watson.
