Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Just last season, QB Michael Vick was the locked in starter of the Philadelphia Eagles. He has been an exciting player throughout his entire career and has won countless games, but the quarterback’s body finally broke down last year.
As a result, QB Nick Foles walked into the starting gig and didn’t look back. Now that Vick is officially out of town, Foles finally has the starting job all to himself and he has all the makings to be a fantasy football superstar.
Positives:
Foles was throwing the ball all over the field last season. He finished with a 119.2 passer rating and the former Arizona standout threw 26 touchdowns in 11 starts (2.4 TDs/game), which projects to a surreal 38.4 touchdowns over a 16-game season. He looked like a superstar fantasy option and proved he could run Chip Kelly’s offense flawlessly.
Foles is the ultimate pocket passer. Nowadays, more and more quarterbacks try to get it down with their legs, but Foles has no problem with standing in the pocket and delivering the ball downfield.
He also gets to benefit from having elite running back LeSean McCoy in the backfield. Shady is one of the best backs in the game and opposing defense will always have to stack the box to stop the 2013 rushing champion. Needless to say, Foles will get to throw against some soft defenses.
Negatives:
Foles lost an All-Star fantasy talent in DeSean Jackson this off-season. It was a very abrupt ending and ended left the team scrambling to add wideouts. Unfortunately, now Foles doesn’t have a true number one wideout on the outside. WR Jeremy Maclin will be returning, but the veteran is still recovering from a torn ACL. WR Riley Cooper also looked strong at times last season, but he is still somewhat of an unproven talent.
The address the need on the outside, Philly picked up wideouts Jordan Matthews (2nd round) and Josh Huff (3rd round) in the 2014 NFL Draft. The added talent will help Foles in the long-term, but they will take sometime to get caught up to speed in Kelly’s fast-paced offense.
Final Verdict:
Foles is a true top-tier quarterback. He may not be in the category of Peyton Manning or Drew Brees just yet, but Foles can be just as valuable as a fantasy signal caller. Look for him to finish with 4,000 yards and 30-plus touchdowns in 2014.
Bye Week: 7
Projected Round: 5
Auction Value: $20
Adam McGill is the Senior Fantasy Sports Writer at Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @adammcgill83, like him on Facebook, or add him to you networks on Google here or here.
