Nick Foles is an interesting option for Carson Wentz owners and a solid start in two-quarterback leagues.
If you had Nick Foles as your starting quarterback in the 2013 fantasy football playoffs, you may very well have won your league’s title.
In Week 15 that year, Foles threw for 428 yards and three touchdowns against the Vikings. It was one of his best performances in an unlikely breakout season in which he threw for 24 touchdowns, against two interceptions, in 10 games as the Eagles’ starting quarterback.
Fast forward four years: How do you feel about having Foles as your starting quarterback this Week 15?
You probably haven’t had Foles on your fantasy radar since he left the Eagles after the 2014 season, given that he has thrown for only 10 touchdowns (and 10 interceptions) in the 12 games he has started since then. But if you’re a Carson Wentz owner who has a big hole to fill at quarterback, Foles might not be a bad choice.
Football nerds know that in 2013 the Chip Kelly-led Eagles ran an offense similar to this one, relying heavily on run/pass options. The Eagles lead the league, by far, in run/pass option plays this season (155).
Yes, Foles, 28, was dreadful in his time away from the Eagles. But the offensive schemes in St. Louis and Kansas City did not suit him, and he now has a stellar supporting cast around him in Philadelphia, both offensively and defensively.
Do not expect seven touchdowns, but Foles could be surprisingly effective, especially against the unmitigated trash fire known as the Giants’ defense. Foles is an interesting option for Wentz owners and a solid start in two-quarterback leagues.
Aaron Rodgers (GB at Panthers) — Any fantasy owners who patiently held on to Rodgers are about to be rewarded with his perfectly timed return for the fantasy playoffs. It’s easy to forget just how hot Rodgers was before his injury, throwing for 10 touchdowns over his previous three games. As for worries about rust, he has been working out over the last several weeks and is said to be as sharp as ever. In a game that the Packers will be highly motivated to win, given the playoff picture, and one that could be high scoring, given how these two pass defenses have been performing, Rodgers should pick up right where he left off. While the Panthers have allowed just the 22nd most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season (14.7), they’ve allowed the ninth most over the past five games (18.9 F. P. G.).
Blake Bortles (JAC vs. Texans) — Trusting Bortles in a fantasy playoff game, on the surface, seems kind of insane, given some of the disturbing memories he has left his owners with over the course of the season, not to mention a preseason he barely survived while competing with Chad Henne for the starting job. But over the last three games, he has been one of the most consistently productive fantasy quarterbacks, averaging 22.1 F. P. G. Over the past two games, he has 577 passing yards with a 70.5 percent completion rating, four touchdowns and zero turnovers. He has turned it on at just the right time for fantasy purposes, and gets one of the best matchups for quarterbacks in the Texans (18.8 F. P. G.).
Also consider: Nick Foles (PHI at Giants)
Kenyan Drake (MIA at Bills) — I was initially skeptical that anything good could come out of the Dolphins’ backfield in fantasy play after Jay Ajayi was sent packing to Philadelphia. But Drake has more than made the most of his opportunities, scoring at least 15 fantasy points in three of his past five games. He was fantasy’s ninth best back over all in that five-week span. This is a game both teams need to win to keep their N. F. L. playoff hopes alive, so expect Drake to be busy against the Bills, who have yielded the most fantasy points to opposing backs this season, as well as the most rushing touchdowns of any team in the league (18).
Jordan Howard (CHI vs. Lions) — He has been the epitome of “boom or bust” since Week 6 with three games of at least 17 fantasy points (and another of 12) while scoring 6.5 or fewer points in the other four games (including two complete busts of under 3 points). One of his boom weeks was against the Lions in Week 11 (125 rushing yards on 15 carries and a touchdown). The Bears were very competitive against Detroit in that game, which should indicate a positive game script for Howard in this one. The 14 rushing touchdowns allowed by Detroit to the running back position is the second most among N. F. L. teams, and the 24.2 F. P. G. given up to the position over the past five games is the fourth most.
Also consider: Latavius Murray (MIN vs. Bengals)
Devin Funchess (CAR vs. Packers) — Should this game turn out to be the high-scoring affair that Vegas thinks it will be (a 47-point total is projected), Funchess is almost a lock for quality fantasy production. He has been one of the safest fantasy plays at receiver since Week 9, with his worst performance being five catches for 86 yards against the Falcons. In every other game during this stretch, he has had at least one touchdown or 100 yards receiving, and his 12.9 F. P. G. is the eighth most among all receivers (with at least five games played). As a team, the Packers allow the third most F. P. G. to receivers (23.9). Funchess’s individual matchup with cornerback Damarious Randall is also favorable, as he’s rated as just the 80th best cornerback in the league by ProFootballFocus.com.
Josh Gordon (CLE vs. Ravens) — On paper, this is not a great matchup for Gordon, as the Ravens allow the fifth fewest F. P. G. to receivers (16.8). But Baltimore will be without one of the best cornerbacks in the league, Jimmy Smith, who is out for the season with an Achilles injury. Regardless, it’s worth noting that teams’ opposing top receivers have scored at least 12 fantasy points against the Ravens in four of the past five games, including Antonio Brown’s monster game last week (11 catches, 213 yards). Gordon has been immediately productive since his return to the league, including his first touchdown since December 2013 last week against the Packers.
Also consider: Jordy Nelson (GB at Panthers)
Zach Ertz (PHI at Giants) — He’s ready to return to the starting lineup after clearing concussion protocol and gets the best fantasy matchup for tight ends in the Giants (11.6 F. P. G.). If you buy into the fact that the Eagles will be fine with Foles at quarterback (as I do), then you shouldn’t be scared to start Ertz, who leads the team with 57 receptions despite missing two games. While it has been a long time since Ertz and Foles partnered, Foles’s breakout 2013 season coincided with Ertz’s fine rookie year, so any worries about chemistry are un warranted.
Also consider: Charles Clay (BUF vs. Dolphins)
BAL at Browns; NO vs. Jets
Dan Bailey (DAL at Raiders); Kai Forbath (MIN vs. Bengals).
© Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/sports/football/fantasy-football-players-to-start-in-nfl-week-15.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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