Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan announced EJ Manuel will start Saturday's preseason dress rehearsal against the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Matt Cassel and last Thursday's starter Tyrod Taylor are also expected to have time with the first team offense.
EJ Manuel named Bills starter for Saturday’s preseason game, remains irrelevant in fantasy leagues
Rex Ryan threw reporters a curve ball on Thursday when he announced who would start under center for Saturday’s preseason outing. We break down the fantasy implications.
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The news comes as a bit of a surprise due to poor reports coming out of camp regarding Manuel’s play, and also the fact that he had been working behind Taylor and Cassel for the bulk of the summer. It appears that Ryan will give Manuel every chance to succeed, and if he relegates the former first-round pick to third-string duties it won’t be done rashly.
Fantasy Spin: This isn’t a quarterback situation for any fantasy owner to pursue. The depth at the position dictates there are far better options across the board in standard leagues, and that this is something to monitor only in 2-QB leagues and in deep dynasty formats.
Taylor offers plenty of upside as a dual-threat quarterback if he wins the job, but Cassel and Manuel offer little intrigue based on their past performances. For now, there isn’t much reason to assume they will be any more productive than what their records indicate.
