Johnny Manziel was in the spotlight on Monday evening -- and not just because he told Washington D.C.'s football team that they were No. 1. The much-ballyhooed rookie quarterback made his case to be the Browns' starting quarterback ahead of Brian Hoyer.
Despite the rookie's efforts, the Brownsannounced Wednesday that Hoyer would be the team's Week 1 starter against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coach Mike Pettine said that the veteran was "the clear leader from the beginning." Manziel will be Hoyer's backup for now.
The Browns decision doesn't have much impact on fantasy drafts because you'd be wise not to take a chance on either quarterback. Cleveland was 27th in total offense last season and the team hasn't shown much improvement in the first two preseason games. They've scored just two offensive touchdowns in eight quarters, both of them coming in the fourth quarter of Monday night's contest.
Few, if any, fantasy owners are considering Brian Hoyer while Manziel has a current 13th-round average draft position on NFL.com. We expect that to change. But the rookie has a steep learning curve and it shows. In addition to just learning an NFL playbook, he is still learning the dynamic of commanding a huddle -- something he didn't need to do during his time at Texas A&M. Furthermore, Manziel has struggled with accuracy in his first two games. No amount of running will make up for the points Johnny Football fails to produce as a passer.
If you're in a dynasty league with an eye on the future, Manziel is worth your time in the later rounds. Just don't expect any serious production from him this season.
Quick outs
» Rex Ryan says he's not going to name a Week 1 starter yet. Really, Rex? From the beginning, there's been very little to suggest that this has been a real competition between Geno Smith and Michael Vick. Vick needed to put on an extra-special performance in the preseason to snatch the job away from the incumbent and it hasn't happened. Smith still has sleeper potential as a QB2 after his strong finish to 2013. Hopefully the Jets end this charade and officially tab Geno as the guy so we can all move on.
» Thankfully the Raiders have spared us from any manufactured drama. Matt Schaub is going to be Oakland's Week 1 starter. Rookie Derek Carr has been passable, relatively speaking, in his appearances but certainly not enough to push Schaub for the starting job. That's a problem for the Raiders considering Schaub's major decline last season. It's also a problem for fantasy owners who have even a faint interest in any of Oakland's pass-catchers. You're better off looking elsewhere.
» Patriots running back Stevan Ridley says he has "a sick feeling" over his inability to curb his fumbling issues. You can probably add Bill Belichick, Pats fans and fantasy owners to that list as well. Last season Ridley was relegated to the bench because of his repeated fumbles and it could certainly happen again this season if the issues continue. Just don't think James White is the answer. The arrow is pointing down on the Wisconsin rookie after another ho-hum preseason performance. Shane Vereen should be the first New England back off the board.
» Montee Ball went back to work for the Broncos on Tuesday after having an appendectomy earlier this month. It would be a surprise if Ball saw any game time in the preseason and will likely work to be ready for Week 1. In the meantime, Ronnie Hillman should continue to see a lot of first team snaps and is the best handcuff option in Denver.
Marcas Grant is a fantasy editor for NFL.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarcasG.
