With starting quarterback Brian Hoyer stuck in a miserable two-game stretch, the Cleveland Browns finally went to rookie draftee Johnny Manziel on Sunday for the last part of the game. Manziel led the team on a touchdown drive in the Browns' 45-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Fantasy football waiver wire, Week 14: Johnny Manziel gets first career touchdown
The team wouldn’t say who will start next week between the rookie quarterback and the veteran. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Hoyer completed 18-of-30 passes for 192 yards while he was on the field. He threw two interceptions, giving him five picks against no touchdowns in his last two games combined. Manziel replaced him in the fourth quarter and completed 5-of-8 passes for 63 yards, rushing the ball twice for 13 yards and his first career score. After the game, the team declined to say who would be the starter for Week 14.
Fantasy impact: The prognosis on Hoyer hasn’t changed in some time. Even if he retains the Cleveland starting job -- and he probably shouldn’t -- Hoyer is far too inaccurate and inconsistent to be trusted in fantasy, even in a two-quarterback league. He just hasn’t shown anything.
Manziel, meanwhile, is more interesting. If he gets the starting job, Manziel could at minimum be productive in a Tim Tebow sense, with enough rushing yards to keep him relevant even if he's not a great passer. And Manziel also has the possibility of taking advantage of the Browns' fairly deep list of offensive weapons. In deeper leagues, Manziel should be rostered right away.
