The Buffalo Bills have confirmed that Kyle Orton will be the starting quarterback against the Detroit Lions in Week 5.
Kyle Orton named Bills starting QB, has middling fantasy value
The Bills named Kyle Orton the starter over the struggling EJ Manuel on Monday. We break down the fantasy implications.
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Orton gets the nod over EJ Manuel, who has struggled in his second season. Manuel is heading to the bench after another poor performance on Sunday, in which he completed just 47.7 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to the Houston Texans. The 31-year-old Orton was set to retire after his recent stint with the Dallas Cowboys, but the Bills brought him back in the preseason with a two-year contract worth $11 million.
Fantasy impact: This is good news for Sammy Watkins, who might now get better targets than he got from the erratic Manuel. As for Orton, there's not much to suggest he'll be a fantasy star, but he's worth adding in deeper leagues with the bye weeks in full swing.
Look for the Bills to double down on the running game against Detroit's defense, which is giving up the second-fewest passing yards in the league. Of course, the Lions also rank sixth in run defense, so expectations should be tempered for Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller this week. It's not an appealing fantasy matchup for anyone involved.
