Week 10 vs. Chicago
Nick Foles completed just 18-of-33 passes for 168 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Rams Week 9 loss to the Vikings. It was the seventh consecutive game in which Foles threw for less than 200 yards, which tells you all you need to know about his fantasy value. Regardless of the matchup, Foles is completely off the fantasy radar and should remain on your waiver wire.
Week 9 at Minnesota
Nick Foles completed 14-of-23 passes for 191 yards and a touchdown in the Rams Week 8 win over the 49ers. Foles is merely being asked to manage games and not turn the ball over as the team leans on Todd Gurley and a stout defense to win each week. With no viable weapons outside of Tavon Austin in the passing game, Foles isn't an attractive fantasy option and should be left on your waiver wire. He faces a solid Minnesota defense this Sunday.
Week 8 vs. San Francisco
Nick Foles completed 15-of-23 passes for 163 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in the Rams Week 7 win over the Browns. Despite defenses being forced to concentrate on slowing down Todd Gurley, the Rams passing game continues to be bogged down. Pass protection and dropped passes are an issue, but Foles' play has been sporadic as well. Nothing suggests the Rams will suddenly catch fire through the air, so leave Foles on your waiver wire. He's completely off the fantasy radar, even if he has a good matchup (like Sunday vs. the 49ers).
Week 7 vs. Cleveland
Nick Foles is averaging just 14.0 fantasy points per game as the entire Rams passing game has struggled to find a rhythm through five games. He ranks as our QB27 for Week 8, making him one of the worst quarterback options of the week despite having a favorable matchup versus Cleveland. Avoid Foles.
Week 5 at Green Bay
Nick Foles completed 16-of-24 passes for 171 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams Week 4 win over the Cardinals. Todd Gurley and the running game finally got going in the second half, which opened up passing windows for Foles. He made several excellent throws, including a deep ball to Tavon Austin, a touchdown to Stedman Bailey in the face of pressure and another touchdown throw to Austin where he threw to the receiver open in the end zone. Despite the three-touchdown performance against one of the NFL's stingiest defensive backfields, Foles is only on pace for 20 touchdowns. And now that Gurley had his breakout performance, the Rams will continue to lean on the run. Foles is our QB27 for Week 5 and is not a reliable fantasy option.
Week 4 at Cardinals
Nick Foles completed 19-of-28 passes for 197 yards with one interception and no touchdowns in the Rams Week 3 loss to the Steelers. St. Louis can't run the ball, which means Foles is constantly in third-and-long behind spotty protection. He threw a perfect pass in the third quarter to Lance Kendricks last week that could have gone for a touchdown had Kendricks not dropped the ball. There are no playmakers in the Rams punchless offense and Foles is suffering for it. Perhaps he'll emerge as a decent streaming option at some point this season but we wouldn't hold our breath. Leave him on your waiver wire.
Week 3 vs. Pittsburgh
Nick Foles completed 17-of-32 pass attempts for 150 yards and a touchdown in the Rams 24-10 loss to the Redskins. It was a disastrous day for St. Louis offense, which produced multiple three-and-outs (or four-and-outs) throughout the day. With the inability to get the running game going, Foles was constantly in third-and-long, and his pass protection didn't allow him to work through his progressions, step up in the pocket or set his feet to make accurate throws. He saved his fantasy day by tossing a 40-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt midway through the third quarter, but otherwise struggled along with the rest of the offense. Foles is our QB19 for Week 3 and has a great matchup against the No. 31-ranked fantasy defense against quarterbacks. That said, there are likely better options on the waiver wire if you need a quarterback this week.
Week 2 at Washington
Nick Foels completed 18-of-27 pass attempts for 297 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions in the Rams 34-31 overtime win over the Seahawks in Week 1. Foles also lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by cornerback Cary Williams, but he scored on a 1-yard run in the first half. Considering the Rams were without Todd Gurley, Tre Mason and Brian Quick, it was an impressive debut for the former Eagle. He dropped a perfect pass into Stedman Bailey's arms in overtime with Richard Sherman trailing in coverage and Earl Thomas helping over the top. The throw and catch led to what would be the Rams' game-winning field goal. He's still not an attractive fantasy player due to St. Louis' inexperienced offensive line and run-first offense, but Foles will be a streaming option this Sunday against Washington and fantasy's worst-ranked pass defense. Foles ranks as our QB25 in Week 2.
Week 1 vs. Seattle
The Rams hope an emphasis and commitment to the running game will move the chains, control the clock and open up opportunities for Nick Foles to make plays in the passing game off play-action. That all sounds good in theory, but Foles will be stuck behind an inexperienced offensive line starting two rookies in Week 1 against the No. 1 fantasy defense in the league (Seattle). Foles is our QB29 for this week and should be avoided in all leagues.
Fantasy Upside
Nick Foles enjoyed great fantasy success in 2013 when he threw 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions while leading the Eagles to the playoffs. But he never seemed to be Chip Kelly's guy and following an injury-ravaged 2014, Foles received a new lease on life when St. Louis acquired him from Philadelphia back in March. Foles has already drawn praise for his leadership abilities and reportedly has developed a report with defacto No. 1 receiver Kenny Britt. In theory, Todd Gurley, Tre Mason and the Rams' running game will force defenses to load the box, which will open up the play-action pass for Foles. There's also some hope that new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti will figure out what Brian Schottenheimer couldn't: How to turn former top-10 pick Tavon Austin into a weapon in the passing game.
Fantasy Downside
The Rams will likely start rookies Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown along their offensive line and their projected starting center, Barrett Jones, has yet to start a game in the NFL. If Rodger Saffold continues to have durability issues and/or second-year left tackle Greg Robinson doesn't take a significant step in his development, Foles could be buried behind a shaky offensive line. There are also plenty of questions at receiver, as Britt has never topped 800 yards in any season, Austin has been nothing more than a gadget player early in his career, Brian Quick is rehabbing from a nasty arm/shoulder injury, and Jared Cook has never developed into the mismatch at tight end that the Rams hoped he'd be when they handed him $19 million guaranteed in 2013. Plus, even if the offensive line and receivers exceed expectations in St. Louis, can Foles put up quality fantasy production now that he's out of Kelly's quarterback-friendly system? Even before he was injured last year, Foles struggled with accuracy and turnovers as defenses caught up with Kelly's offense.
Bottom Line
Foles projects as a game-manager in the Rams' run-first offense. Even if he winds up having what would be considered a good season, he'll likely max out between 20 and 23 touchdowns, and around 3,800 yards. Currently sitting at No. 21 in our quarterback rankings, Foles projects as a low-end QB2 for 2015. There are too many questions surrounding the Rams' offense and Foles' potential isn't too intriguing.
