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Philly makes it official: Nick Foles the starter rest of season

To be perfectly honest, the Eagles quarterback situation is no more interesting to me right now than the QB dilemmas facing the Jets and Cardinals. I've made a few managerial missteps this year, but at least I've avoided a dependence on Michael Vick. Hopefully you've done the same.

Still, when Philadelphia's offense makes news, we're duty-bound to discuss it. So....

On Monday, lame duck Philly head coach Andy Reid announced that rookie Nick Foles will remain the Eagles starting quarterback, even when Vick returns from his concussion. Foles is coming off a good-not-great day against Dallas, completing 22 of 34 passes for 251 yards and one score. He managed to avoid turnovers, which was somewhat unexpected. Foles spread the opportunities around in Week 13 (redistributionist!), as five different players saw at least five targets, while no receiver reached double-digits. Jason Avant led the team in receiving yards with a modest 79.

It seems unlikely that Foles will turn any wideout or tight end into a fantasy star over the final weeks, though we should note that Philly's schedule is relatively appealing. The Eagles will face Tampa Bay, Cincinnati and Washington over the next three weeks. Those defenses currently rank 32nd, 11th and 31st against the pass. Thus, Foles has some deep-league Hail Mary appeal. He's one of a few dozen quarterbacks I'd prefer to Philip Rivers, rest of season.

The more interesting fantasy commodity from Philadelphia's junior varsity is, of course, running back Bryce Brown. That kid has exceeded all expectations by miles. He's rushed for 347 yards and four TDs over the past two weeks, inspiring thousands of face-palms among fans of the various collegiate programs he teased in recent years. (Seriously, he looks like Herschel Walker with just a few more fumbles. It's crazy that he wasn't an FBS star. And it's somehow perfect that Tennessee was one of the schools where he did his non-starring).

With LeSean McCoy still navigating the NFL's concussion protocol, there's a very good chance that Brown will again be a full-workload back in Week 14. This time, he'll face the league's top-ranked run defense; the Bucs allow just 3.4 yards per carry and 82.3 rushing yards per game. You can't expect another 160-something yards and two scores from the rookie, but that's not a reasonable forecast for any player, in any week. Brown seems like a classic case of a talented back with fresh legs, capable of steamrolling opponents in the most important weeks of the fantasy season. He is not to be benched, not while he's in line for double-digit touches.

If Brown can finish the season in style while managing to resolve his fumbling issues (no sure thing), you have to assume he'll have more than a change-of-pace role whenever Shady returns. And the Eagles have him at a seventh-round price ($2.15M/4Y), which seems unfair.