Rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel has been named the starter for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, the team announcedWednesday. Manuel had minor surgery two weeks ago and many thought he'd miss the team's season opener against the New England Patriots, but it's now known that's not the case.
E.J. Manuel to start for Bills, is fantasy wildcard
Buffalo Bills quarterback E.J. Manuel has been named the starter for Week 1. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Since being drafted, Manuel was locked in a quarterback battle with Kevin Kolb, but after Manuel had to have his knee procedure, Kolb looked like the starter. Unfortunately, Kolb suffered a concussion and had to be placed on injured reserve.
That meant that Jeff Tuel was being tapped as the starter for Week 1, given the uncertainty surrounding Manuel. However, Manuel recently returned to practice and seems fine, so the decision was made to give him the start. He's clearly more game-ready than Tuel, an undrafted rookie.
Fantasy Impact: While the Bills had that quarterback competition going, it wouldn’t have been smart to draft either quarterback. However, Manuel is the starter going forward, barring any setbacks with his injury. He is firmly in the “boom or bust” camp, being a rookie with big-play ability. He can either go out and throw a bunch of touchdowns or a bunch of interceptions. He certainly should not be your top quarterback but it might not hurt to give him a look.
