Anthony Richardson officially named Colts starter for the regular season

The Indianapolis Colts are throwing rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson straight into the fire. The team Tuesday officially named Richardson the starter for the regular season.

The announcement comes four months after the Colts took Richardson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The news shouldn't come as a major surprise. Colts owner Jim Irsay spoke glowingly about Richardson shortly after the team drafted him. In July, Irsay told Pat McAfee that Richardson "has to play to get better." Irsay said he would allow Colts head coach Shane Steichen to choose his starting quarterback, but it was clear Irsay thought Richardson should get the nod. Irsay sent out a tweet Tuesday acknowledging he was on board with the choice.

Richardson beat out veteran Gardner Minshew for the starting gig. Minshew had strong moments as a starting quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars early in his career, but has settled in as one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league.

Though Minshew has been solid over his career, he never seemed to be a serious threat to Richardson's playing time. Irsay's outspoken praise of Richardson made that clear from the start. Steichen seemingly agreed, giving Richardson the start during the team's first preseason game. Richardson completed seven of 12 attempts for 67 yards and an interception in the 23-19 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The move signals a new era in Indianapolis. Richardson has immense potential, but little experience, starting just 13 games in college. The best way to get him acclimated quickly is with reps, which is why the Colts will ride with Richardson immediately.

Fantasy impact

Richardon's rushing ability makes him a tantalizing selection in most fantasy leagues. Rushing quarterbacks have surged up draft boards in recent years, and Richardson is the latest young player to draw attention from fantasy managers.

While his potential is immense, there's major risk with taking Richardson. His lack of experience as a starter makes it tough to project how he'll perform, and the fact that he's yet to play a single meaningful down in the NFL adds to that uncertainty. Because of that, Richardson is the consensus No. 14 quarterback among Yahoo Sports experts.

Whether you'll be able to select him there depends on your league mates. Richardson is the type of player fantasy managers salivate over. If the hype gets out of control, there's a chance some fantasy managers jump Richardson into the top-7 or top-8 at the position. — Yahoo Fantasy staff