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Talk about a roller coaster ride of emotions for Philadelphia Eagles fans.
After it appeared that the Eagles had moved on from the former Oregon head coach, the team came out of the blue with their hiring. Finally, on Wednesday morning, the Eagles hired Chip Kelly as their next head coach. Many fans of the Philadelphia football team are excited, however, fantasy football owners who planned on drafting star running back LeSean McCoy should be even more thrilled.
The Andy Reid era in Philadelphia often included a lack of usage of McCoy. With Kelly on the sidelines, don’t expect that to be a problem. In 2012, when McCoy was given the ball 20 or more times, the Eagles were 3-0. Kelly has a high football I.Q. and I believe he understands that McCoy gives them the best chance to win football games.
During his time at Oregon, Kelly often utilized speedy backs. In fact, Kelly’s offenses have ranked in the top six in the nation in rushing each of his first four seasons. Guys like LaMichael James, DeAnthony Thomas and Kenjon Barner have thrived under Kelly, so expect Shady to do that and then some. Kelly’s uptempo style of offense will heavily focus around McCoy, whether it be on the ground or through the air. Not to mention, 2013 will hopefully feature a healthy Jason Peters on the offensive line. Well, hopefully.
Before this news, I had McCoy as my seventh-ranked fantasy back heading into next season. Now, however, he will easily crack the top five. Expect the real Slim Shady McCoy to stand up in 2013.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy football/hockey columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
