The New York Jets announced that rookie Geno Smith will be their Week 1 starter at quarterback on Wednesday. Smith had been competing with incumbent Mark Sanchez for the role since being drafted by the team this offseason. It seems like Sanchez's right shoulder injury does play a factor in the decision, as he remains "day-to-day."
Jets announce Geno Smith as starting quarterback; still no fantasy value
The New York Jets have announced Geno Smith as their starting quarterback. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Sanchez could miss one or two games with the injury, which coincidentally gives Smith some time to sink or swim. The Jets are in a bad place right now, and are certainly prone to making reactionary decisions. It’s unclear if they wanted Sanchez to start had he not got injured, but most of the reports around the time suggested the opposite.
That said, Sanchez did seem to outplay Smith during the preseason. It wasn’t much of a quarterback battle at all though, as neither really made a strong case to earn the job. Regardless of whether or not Sanchez out-performed him, Smith was clearly the future. He’s just starting a bit sooner than some figured he would.
Fantasy Impact: If, for some reason, you’re dead set on having a Jets quarterback on your fantasy team, then this news should be illuminating. Smith is the starter, so head out and pick him up if you’re eager, but we advise you stay far, far away from the Jets’ quarterbacks. Maybe Smith plays well, and at the end of the day ends up being a productive fantasy football quarterback ... or maybe he lays an egg for the first two games and Sanchez takes over in Week 3 and your quarterback is riding the bench. At least he wouldn’t be able to throw picks from there.
