The Cleveland Browns named Brian Hoyer the starting quarterback to begin the 2014-15 season on Wednesday. Hoyer had been battling rookie first-round pick Johnny Manziel for the starting job, and head coach Mike Pettine was adamant that he wanted to name a regular season starter by the team's third preseason game.
Brian Hoyer named starting quarterback, should still be avoided in fantasy
Brian Hoyer beat out Johnny Manziel for the starting quarterback job. We break down the fantasy implications.
Rob Carr
This is just a day after Pettine had no answer to this question, saying that neither Hoyer nor Manziel were particularly impressive against Washington on Monday. He was right, given that Manziel completed seven of 16 passes, while Hoyer completed just two of six. It seemed to be a very even battle and most thought that it would carry on into the third preseason game.
Fantasy Impact: Whatever the case, Hoyer is the starter at this point. But given how neither quarterback was particularly good in the preseason, one has to wonder how short his leash will be. How many games does Cleveland lose before Manziel is given the starting nod? That’s the big question at this point.
Of course, even if Hoyer does hang on to the job throughout the season, we’re not going to recommend him as a fantasy option. He can make some big plays here and there, but he’s not consistent, and we still don’t know what’s happening with Josh Gordon. He might surprise, but smart money is on most starting quarterbacks around the league being better plays.
