The big news out of Indianapolis today is that Colts QB Peyton Manning had surgery Thursday morning that could potentially put him on the shelf for two-to-three months. We wish Manning the best of luck in his recovery, but the implications of this surgery are extensive. The folks at Stampede Blue are discussing Manning’s future, but we’re going to focus in on the impact this will have on fantasy football.
Peyton Manning Surgery: Season-Long Fantasy Football Implications
Whether or not Manning is placed on injured reserve, this surgery means he is likely done for the fantasy football season. Even if he returns in early December, league playoffs would be getting underway and it is unlikely someone would want to roll the dice with a recovering Manning at that point. It is a tough call whether to cut Manning but I would say, if you’ve got an injury slot on your roster, stash him there if you don’t have any other injured players.
As for the rest of the Indianapolis Colts players, the implications for this Sunday's Texans game expand out for much of the season. There are a lot of question marks that make it hard to assess where players stand. In reality, Sunday will give us a slightly better idea of things, but even then it may take two or three weeks before we recognize the full fantasy impact of the Manning's injury.
Kerry Collins takes over as starting QB for the Colts and as we've said, he is a serviceable quarterback that I actually think will keep the team competitive, albeit not at the level of Manning. However, for fantasy purposes, he is likely still wrapping his head around the Colts playbook and still developing chemistry and timing with the rest of the Colts offense. It could take a few weeks to get completely in sync, assuming he is able to get in sync at all.
Among the Colts skill position players, one could argue Joseph Addai could be the primary beneficiary. The Colts were more of a passing team with Manning at the helm, but it's possible they start to emphasize the run a bit more with Collins at QB. Addai would need to hold up under the load, but after struggles last year, he could be due for a serious bounce-back year.
Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark are likely going to be guys Collins leans on early while he is figuring things out. Austin Collie, Pierre Garcon and others are going to get their looks, but I sense that a veteran QB like Collins will take advantage of the great veterans at his disposal. For now, Wayne and Clark remain every day starts until Collins and the Colts prove otherwise.
As for the younger players? I honestly don’t know. I think you have to take a wait and see approach with Collie at this point. He’s a very talented receiver, but who knows what will happen for now.
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