Rookie quarterback roulette

OK, SO NICK Foles starting on Sunday isn't official yet, but if he's not out there, Michael Vick won't be the only one having his head examined this week.

Anybody who watched Vick take hit after hit behind an offensive line that looked like five wheels of Swiss cheese knew it was only a matter of time before Foles started.

Since 1970, the Eagles have drafted 17 quarterbacks. Four, if you include Foles, have started a game as rookies. Donovan McNabb, Randall Cunningham and John Reaves are the others. Four others made starts for the Eagles after their first season (Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley, Koy Detmer and Bobby Hoying). The rest, from Mike Kafka to Casey Weldon, just faded into oblivion.

There are five other rookies already starting in the NFL and a few of them look like they have the mortar on which to build the foundation of a franchise.

"You can't win big without a great coach and a great quarterback," Browns CEO Joe Banner told the Cleveland Plain Dealer last week. (Hmmm, wonder where that philosophy came from.) "And, frankly, if you have a great enough coach and quarterback, you can afford to make a few more personnel mistakes. You've got to lock them in."

Cleveland's priority for the remainder of the season is finding out whether Brandon Weeden is its franchise quarterback. From a fantasy standpoint, only Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III deserve weekly consideration. But in dynasty leagues, the floor is more open. How well do you know this year's contributing freshman QBs? Let's start with an easy one.

1) I am the tallest.

a. Ryan Tannehill. b. Nick Foles. c. Brandon Weeden.

2) I am the youngest.

a. Nick Foles. b. Russell Wilson. c. Robert Griffin.

3) I have the most passing touchdowns.

a. Russell Wilson. b. Andrew Luck. c. Ryan Tannehill.

4) I have the most passing yards.

a. Andrew Luck. b. Brandon Weeden. c. Robert Griffin.

5) I have the best completion percentage (min. 2 starts).

a. Russell Wilson. b. Robert Griffin. c. Andrew Luck.

Answers:

Tallest: Foles. Youngest: Griffin. Most TDs: Wilson. Most yards: Luck. Best percentage: Griffin.

Contest of the Week

Who will have more passing yards in Sunday's battle of the rookies, Foles or Griffin? The only caveat is that each must start. Foles threw for 219 yards when he replaced Michael Vick last week and Griffin averages 221.4. We'll give a Daily News fantasy football t-shirt to the reader who picks Sunday's leader and comes closest to that player's passing yardage. The tiebreaker will be the combined yardage, so include a guess for each guy. Email FantasyFootball@phillynews.com or fax to 215-854-5524 by noon Sunday. And if Foles doesn't start, this contest goes to the deleted items folder.

Give thanks

The annual list of what we are all thankful for this fantasy football season comes out next Friday and as always, we'd love reader feedback. Two participants will be randomly selected for a t-shirt. (Our generosity knows no bounds.) Feel free to include a sentence or two along with your name and hometown. Personally, I'm thankful that Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas has a rather reliable quarterback this year. Email FantasyFootball @phillynews.com or fax to 215-854-5524 by next Wednesday. As always, humor is encouraged.

Position watch

Running backs: Marcel Reese again will carry the load if Darren McFadden (ankle) can't go for the Raiders. Even against the Saints' 31st-ranked run defense, Reese is only an RB2/high-end flex because New Orleans is playing its best football of the season. If the Saints get a big lead, it'll put a crimp into the Raiders' ability to run the ball . . . Rashard Mendenhall is back in the mix again for Pittsburgh . . . Dallas' DeMarco Murray (ankle) is not yet worth a fantasy start. Felix Jones is an RB2/flex.

Wide receivers: Reggie Wayne has had at least 10 targets in seven of nine games and leads the league with 112. His 69 catches also is tops and just six behind his total for all of 2011. Thank you, Andrew Luck.

Tight ends: Pittsburgh's Heath Miller had four catches on four targets in Monday's slopfest against the Chiefs, but zero targets after Byron Leftwich replaced Ben Roethlisberger midway through the third quarter.

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Fantasy Island

DAILY NEWS RANKINGS (Week 11)

Here are the weekly rankings, along with the upcoming opponent and where that opponent ranks:

Quarterbacks

1. Aaron Rodgers, GB at Det. (9th vs. pass)

2. Drew Brees, NO at Oak (24)

3. Tom Brady, NE vs. Ind. (15)

4. Peyton Manning, Den. vs. SD (17)

5. Matt Ryan, Atl. vs. Ari. (2)

6. Matt Stafford, Det. vs. GB (20)

7. Andrew Luck, Ind. at NE (29)

8. Carson Palmer, Oak. vs. NO (31)

9. Robert Griffin III, Was. vs. Phi. (12)

10. Tony Romo, Dal. vs. Cle. (22)

11. Matt Schaub, Hou. vs. Jax (23)

12. Philip Rivers, SD at Den. (11)

13. Cam Newton, Car. vs. TB (32)

14. Sam Bradford, StL vs. NYJ (6)

15. Josh Freeman, TB at Car. (16)

Running backs

1. Arian Foster, Hou. vs. Jax (29 vs. run)

2. Ray Rice, Balt. at Pitt. (6)

3. Doug Martin, TB at Car. (16)

4. LeSean McCoy, Eagles at Was. (8)

5. Alfred Morris, Was. vs. Phil. (15)

6. Trent Richardson, Cle. at Dal. (13)

7. Reggie Bush, Mia at Buf (32)

8. Stevan Ridley, NE vs. Ind. (22)

9. C.J. Spiller, Buf. vs. Mia. (5)

10. Mikel Leshoure, Det. vs. GB (t10)

11. Jamaal Charles, KC vs. Cin. (20)

12. Marcel Reece, Oak. vs. NO (31)

13. Matt Forte, Chi. at SF (7)

14. Steven Jackson, StL vs. NYJ (30)

15. Darren Sproles, NO at Oak. (21)

16. Willis McGahee, Den. vs. SD (2)

17. Felix Jones, Dal. vs. Cle (27)

18. Rashardd Mendenhall, Pit. vs. Bal. (26)

19. Frank Gore, SF vs. Chi. (4)

20. Ryan Mathews, SD at Den. (t10)

Wide receivers

1. Calvin Johnson, Det. vs. GB (20 vs. pass)

2. Julio Jones, Atl. vs. Ari. (2)

3. A.J. Green, Cin. at KC (8)

4. Steve Smith, Caro. TB (32

5. Reggie Wayne, Ind. at NE (29)

6. Roddy White, Atl. vs. Ari. (2)

7. Brandon Marshall, Chic. at SF (7)

8. Larry Fitzgerald, Ari. at Atl. (19)

9. Denarius Moore, Oak. vs. NO (31)

10. Andre Johnson, Hou. vs. Jax (23)

11. Santana Moss, Wash. vs. Phil. (12)

12. Dez Bryant, Dal. vs. Cle (22)

13. Danny Amendola, StL vs. NYJ (6)

14. Torrey Smith, Balt. at Pit. (1)

15. Jordy Nelson, GB at Det. (9)

16. Vincent Jackson, TB at Car. (16)

17. Marques Colston, NO at Oak. (24)

18. Miles Austin, Dall. vs. Cle. (22)

19. Mike Wallace, Pit. vs. Bal. (26)

20. Randall Cobb, GB at Det. (9)

FROM THE CHAT

Q: Ridley or Charles? Playoff spot on the line.

A: Ridley. Chiefs scare me; fear that Monday night might have been their Super Bowl.

(Look for the fantasy chat with Ed Barkowitz and philly.com producer Matt Mullin each Thursday at noon. Next week's takes place on Wednesday because of the holiday. For a full transcript of this week's chat, visit philly.com/FantasyIsland. Ed Barkowitz, who remembers cringing when the Eagles drafted Don McPherson in 1988, has been writing about fantasy football in the Daily News since 2001. Contact him at FantasyFootball@phillynews.com.