The Nick Foles era might already be over in St. Louis. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher confirmed Monday that Case Keenum will be the starting quarterback for next week’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Since Foles is not injured, this is a straight benching.
Nick Foles benched for Case Keenum, who doesn’t carry much fantasy upside
The Rams have pulled the plug on Nick Foles. We break down the fantasy implications.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams acquired Foles from the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason hoping for an upgrade on Sam Bradford. Instead, Foles has been one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league this year, completing just 56.6 percent of his passes for 1,678 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions in nine games. The Rams offense ranks dead last in passing yards per game.
Keenum made 10 appearances for the Houston Texans in 2013 and 2014, throwing for 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Fantasy impact: The benching seemed inevitable -- the Rams need to find a pulse on offense, and at 4-5 their playoff hopes are starting to slip away.
Keenum is a bottom-tier fantasy player but at least he has the right matchup against the Ravens’ 26th-ranked pass defense. If nothing else, Keenum will be counted on to stretch the field and take pressure off Todd Gurley, which could also improve the fantasy outlook of Tavon Austin. Keenum has a low fantasy ceiling, but his floor should be higher than Foles’ was.
