RADIO
Johnny Manziel will get the starting quarterback nod in Week 9 as the Cleveland Browns will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals on the road. Regular starting quarterback Josh McCown has been dealing with a shoulder injury and will not be ready in time on this short week with a Thursday night kick-off. This will be "Johnny Football's" first real action since the first two weeks of the season. In those two games Johnny threw for a below average 354 combined yards with three touchdowns.
Even though Manziel has looked less than impressive this year, Travis Benjamin has shined and has been the lone beneficiary with Johnny at the helm. In the first two games, Manziel found Benjamin for 204 yards and the only three touchdowns that he threw. It appears that even with the poor numbers, Johnny still found Travis for the deep ball connection.
In Week 9, the Browns have a very tough match-up against a division rival in the Bengals. On the road against the Steelers last week, the Bengals gritty defense held them to only 10 points. Starting Johnny Manziel in a quarterback slot this week would be a poor choice, however Travis Benjamin should get a majority of the deep balls and should be considered a WR2.
Fellow teammate Gary Barnidge has continued his very surprising fantasy football rampage in 2015. Barnidge to this point has been a must-start, as he has been posting top TE numbers week in and week out with Josh McCown under center. Now that Manziel is stepping in, owners should be slightly worried about Barnidge continuing this pace. In the small sample size that we have, Manziel only found Barnidge for four receptions and 55 yards in the first two games of the year.
Now that Barnidge has been on a roll, Johnny may look to use him as a security blanket across the middle. It is very hard to have the same expectations for Gary, especially since Manziel has looked bad and they are playing a real tough defense. However, it's hard to not start a player who has been playing this good and this consistent for the past six weeks. Start Barnidge in your TE spot, but be prepared for a potential drop off in production this week and pray for a McCown return in the very near future.
