Dose: Peyton To Return In 2015
After Denver quarterback Peyton Manning declared on Wednesday that he would like to return to the team in 2015 if they would have him, coach John Fox said on Thursday that the team does indeed want the future Hall of Fame quarterback to return and lead the Broncos in 2015. Of course Fox would want the legendary Manning to run his offense in 2015 instead of turning to Brock Osweiler, but this does cement the fact that both parties look likely to ensure that Manning plays at least one more full season of NFL football.
Manning will fall short of matching his incredible 2014 campaign in which he threw for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns, but he still leads the NFL in touchdown tosses this season with 39 through 16 games. Manning will be a top-tier fantasy quarterback once again in 2015 and dynasty owners can expect to squeeze one more solid year from this all-time great.
In Other News…
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston, the New England Patriots likely won’t play their starters the entire game on Sunday. This was to be expected after New England wrapped up the AFC’s top seed last week, but fantasy footballers now know that Week 17 title game participants and DFS enthusiasts should steer clear of Belichick’s bunch this week.
After naming Logan Thomas his starting quarterback earlier this week, Arizona coach Bruce Arians announced that he will go with Ryan Lindley on Sunday instead of the rookie Thomas. Thomas’ practice effort must have been seriously erratic if Arians is comfortable leaning on Lindley again, who has gone 22-54 passing (40.7%) over the last two weeks.
A.J. Green (arm) was limited on Thursday, but did return to Cincinnati’s practice field as he works to get his troublesome arm back into playing shape. Green was a huge disappointment on Monday night due to the injury issue, but looks to be in line to start on Sunday in a critical game for the Bengals.
Houston wide receiver Andre Johnson told the Houston Chronicle on Thursday that he is willing to take a pay cut to remain with the Texans next season. Johnson will fall just short of racking up his eighth career 1,000 yard season and hasn’t been nearly as effective in 2014 as in the past. The quarterback issues of Houston are a large reason but Johnson, who will turn 34 next summer, is no spring chicken. The former early-round fantasy pick will likely be a risky mid-round option in 2015.
News and Notes
Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly stopped short of giving quarterback Nick Foles a fill endorsement on Thursday, stating that “we have a process that we go through” over the offseason. Fantasy owners will be keeping tabs on this situation, as the signal caller in Kelly’s offense is generally a safe bet for fantasy production. … Cleveland coach Mike Pettine said quarterback Johnny Manziel will “have the chance to compete” for a starting role in 2015. The rookie had a rough debut this season but still has the potential to become a useful fantasy quarterback due to his rushing capabilities. … Michael Crabtree was asked on Thursday whether he wants to back in San Francisco in 2015 and the receiver replied with, “it depends.” Crabtree has been extremely disappointing this season along with the rest of the 49ers offense, and will likely look for a fresh start next season.
Injury Notes
Pierre Thomas (ribs) missed practice on Thursday and is a dicey bet for Week 17 with New Orleans out of the postseason hunt. … Jamaal Charles (hamstring, ankle) was limited in practice on Thursday but appears to be a solid bet to start on Sunday as usual. … Percy Harvin (ribs, ankle) missed practice on Thursday and looks to be a longshot to suit up in Week 17. … Joique Bell (Achilles’) practiced on Thursday and will receive his normal workload as Detroit’s lead running back this week. … Kyle Rudolph (ankle, knee) did not practice on Thursday and will likely miss Week 17, capping off an injury filled 2014 season.
