Minshew completed 25 of 33 passes for 257 yards, one touchdown and one interception in Sunday's 22-10 loss to the Chargers.
Minshew had a decent statistical performance and effectively spread the ball between several pass catchers. His touchdown came late in the first quarter on a dumpoff to Alexander Mattison, though he managed only 100 yards on 18 attempts in the second half to stall the Raiders' offense. Minshew also had a key mistake late in the second quarter when he fumbled on an attempted pass that led directly to three points for the Chargers. Overall, Minshew has shown the ability to help skill-position players in his offense produce, though his own numbers are more likely to remain pedestrian.
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Raiders' Gardner Minshew: Won't play in final preseason game
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Minshew and other starters won't play in Friday's preseason finale against the 49ers, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.
Minshew was competent but unspectacular this preseason, completing 16 of 33 passes for 212 yards in two games, without any touchdowns or turnovers. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce named the 28-year-old as his Week 1 starter Sunday, leaving Aidan O'Connell as the backup QB heading into a season opener on the road against the Chargers (Sept. 8). In the meantime, Minshew and O'Connell both will sit out the final preseason game, leaving Carter Bradley and Nathan Peterman to handle QB snaps.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said Sunday that Minshew will be the team's starting quarterback to open the 2024 regular season, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports.
Pierce also said that Minshew's experience was the deciding factor when awarding him the starting job over second-year signal-caller Aidan O'Connell, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. The six-year veteran has started 37 of his 49 career games compared to 10 starts with a 5-5 record for O'Connell during his rookie season in Las Vegas. Minshew was also was named to his first career Pro Bowl with Indianapolis last year, when he tossed 15 touchdowns to nine interceptions and 3,305 yards across 17 games, and he completed 16 of 33 combined passing attempts for 212 yards and one touchdown over two games so far this preseason. It's still unlikely that he figures into the team's long-term plans at quarterback, but Minshew now will lead an offense lacking in proven receiving weapons other than star wideout Davante Adams (undisclosed), as Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker should round out the starting wideouts while tight ends Brock Bowers (foot) and Michael Mayer are likely to be featured as well. The Raiders will open the season on the road Sunday, Sept. 8 versus the Chargers.
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Raiders' Gardner Minshew: Leads three scoring drives Saturday
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Minshew completed six of 12 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in Saturday's 24-23 preseason loss to the Vikings.
While he wasn't exactly efficient, Minshew put points on the board quickly for the Raiders after taking the reins from Aidan O'Connell to begin the second quarter. Minshew tossed a 20-yard strike to DJ Turner for the game's first touchdown, then led two more scoring drives before halftime, including one capped by a two-yard TD plunge from Zamir White. The battle between O'Connell and Minshew for the Week 1 starting job would appear to be a dead heat heading into Las Vegas' next preseason contest against Dallas next Saturday.
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Raiders' Gardner Minshew: Gaining edge on O'Connell
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Minshew outplayed Aidan O'Connell during Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports
Minshew got the first reps with the first-team offense -- something that's rotated between him and O'Connell throughout training camp. The former proceeded to throw a pair of TD passes, while O'Connell didn't have any and was picked off twice. It's only one practice, but Gutierrez suggests that Minshew may be pulling ahead in the competition between himself and O'Connell. Still, the ongoing job battle bears close watching this preseason, with the Raiders likely to play their starters more than a lot of other teams will.
Minshew remains poised to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the starting job this offseason, with the Raiders not having added to the quarterback position in the 2024 NFL Draft, Mark Anderson of the Associated Press reports.
Minshew joined Las Vegas early in free agency back in March, and while it looked like the team was a candidate to add a rookie via April's draft, six quarterbacks came off the board before the Raiders' first-round selection of tight end Brock Bowers at No. 13 overall. Las Vegas also boosted the O-line with premium picks, selecting second-round guard Jackson Powers-Johnson and third-round tackle Delmar Glaze, so whichever of Minshew or O'Connell ultimately wins the starting role looks to be in a notably better position to succeed.
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Raiders' Gardner Minshew: Headed for Las Vegas
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Minshew has agreed to a two-year deal with the Raiders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Per Pelissero, Minshew's deal is for $25 million and includes $15 million fully guaranteed. Given those reported numbers, Minshew should have a chance to compete with Aidan O'Connell for the Raiders' starting QB job. Minshew -- who turns 28 in May -- recorded 3,305 passing yards to go along with 15 TDs and nine picks in 17 regular-season games (13 starts) with the Colts in 2023. With Minshew on the way out, 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson, who is bouncing back from a shoulder injury, is poised to reclaim Indy's starting signal-caller assignment this coming season.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Quiet in win over Vegas
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Minshew completed 15 of 23 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 23-20 win over the Raiders. He added three rushing yards on two carries.
Minshew and the Colts leaned on their running game after taking a 14-3 lead into halftime, limiting the quarterback's production, but he did help pad that lead with a 58-yard TD strike to Alec Pierce late in the second quarter. Indianapolis remains in a three-way tie atop the AFC South with Jacksonville and Houston, and as a result Minshew could be asked to do a lot more in Week 18's tilt against the Texans with a potential division title on the line.
Matthew Stafford is available in 19% of leagues, he's a must-add, must-start QB this week. Jake Browning is available in 32% of leagues. I would start him over both Trevor Lawrence and Kyler Murray. But strictly based on our rule of guys below 65% roster rate, Gardner Minshew remains the best streaming option available.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Solid numbers in Week 14 loss
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Minshew completed 26 of 39 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the Colts' 34-14 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. He also rushed twice for five yards and threw a two-point conversion pass.
Minshew put together his usual reasonably solid numbers, finishing with his third straight productive effort through the air. Minshew connected with Mo Alie-Cox for his only touchdown pass, a two-yard toss late in the first half. The veteran signal-caller completed passes with eight different targets overall, and he'll aim to continue his current stretch of strong play against the Steelers in a Week 15 home matchup on Saturday afternoon.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Sleeper QBs
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I liked Minshew going into last week's game at Tennessee, and he delivered a standout performance with 22.7 Fantasy points, which was his best game since Week 7. Now, let's see if he can string together back-to-back quality Fantasy outings for the first time all season. It helps that he's facing a Bengals defense that has allowed five of the past six opposing quarterbacks to score at least 20.3 Fantasy points, and this is a big game for the Colts, who are in the mix for a playoff spot in the AFC. Minshew should be considered a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 14.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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I liked Minshew going into last week's game at Tennessee, and he delivered a standout performance with 22.7 Fantasy points, which was his best game since Week 7. Now, let's see if he can string together back-to-back quality Fantasy outings for the first time all season. It helps that he's facing a Bengals defense that has allowed five of the past six opposing quarterbacks to score at least 20.3 Fantasy points, and this is a big game for the Colts, who are in the mix for a playoff spot in the AFC. Minshew should be considered a low-end No. 1 Fantasy quarterback in Week 14.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Two touchdowns, 312 yards in win
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Minshew completed 26 of 42 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions in Sunday's 31-28 overtime win over the Titans.
Minshew lost a fumble near the Tennessee goal line late in the second quarter, but he played a clean game otherwise. He delivered long completions of 55, 46 and 36 yards -- the final of which was a touchdown to Alec Pierce -- to top 300 passing yards for the third time on the campaign. Minshew also connected with Michael Pittman on a four-yard score to clinch the overtime victory, marking the first time that he managed multiple passing touchdowns since Week 8.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Solid numbers in Week 12 win
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Minshew completed 24 of 41 passes for 251 yards with no touchdowns and one interception in the Colts' 27-20 win over the Buccaneers on Sunday. He also rushed three times for six yards and a score and fumbled once but recovered.
Minshew wasn't able to get his team in the end zone through the air, but he put together a solid yardage total against a short-handed Buccaneers defense and also contributed a two-yard scoring rush early in the second quarter. Minshew unsurprisingly focused the most on Michael Pittman, who was on the receiving end of 10 of his completions, and standout rookie Josh Downs, who posted a 5-43 line. Minshew's yardage total was his highest since Week 7, and he'll now turn his focus to a Week 13 divisional road clash against the Titans.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Sleeper QBs
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Minshew has the chance for a big game against the Buccaneers, who have allowed three of the past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 32.7 Fantasy points. For the season, Tampa Bay allows 22.4 Fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, and hopefully Minshew will take advantage of this matchup. He's due for a quality outing after scoring 18.8 Fantasy points or less in three games in a row, but I'm hopeful the Colts will be ready to go coming off their bye, especially with a healthy Josh Downs. Minshew is my favorite streaming quarterback for Week 12.
Tampa Bay has allowed the fourth-most Fantasy points to QBs this season, but even that doesn't tell the full picture. Three of the last four quarterbacks who have faced the Buccaneers have scored at least 32 Fantasy points. Minshew and the Colts offense should be sharp coming off the bye.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Underwhelming in win
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Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 194 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in Sunday's 10-6 win over New England.
The Colts were able to rely heavily on Jonathan Taylor to escape with the win, as he carried the ball 23 times compared to Minshew's 28 pass attempts. Despite the limited volume, Minshew made plays when needed, including a 28-yard completion to Josh Downs to help clinch the victory. While he's helped the Colts to wins, Minshew now has one or fewer touchdowns in four of the six games he's started.
Minshew has historically lived in the 18-to-22 Fantasy point range when he's been a starter. This year he's averaging 19.2 FPPG in his four starts. The Panthers defense is nothing to fear, but I do worry that the Colts have so much success running on Carolina that Minshew doesn't have to do much. They are at New England and then on a bye the following week, so this is a one-week add.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Mediocre numbers in loss
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Minshew completed 23 of 41 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the Colts' 38-27 loss to the Saints on Sunday. He also rushed once for three yards.
Minshew put together an inefficient day overall that highlighted some of his shortcomings as a passer. Minshew did keep the Colts in the game for the majority of the afternoon and connected with Michael Pittman and Drew Ogletree for scoring passes of 10 and 33 yards, respectively, for the quarterback's second straight multi-touchdown effort, but he also threw an interception for the third consecutive contest. Minshew's first opportunity to bounce back comes in a Week 9 road battle against the Panthers.
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Colts' Gardner Minshew: Week 8 Waiver Priority List
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Minshew has plenty of flaws as we've seen time and time again, but he's always capable of some surprise outings like we saw in Week 7 against Cleveland when he scored 31.1 Fantasy points. Prior to that, he combined for 26.6 Fantasy points in his two previous starts against Baltimore in Week 3 and Jacksonville in Week 6, so keep that in mind. But if you can live with the lows there could be several highs, and he's someone to consider as a low-end starter in deeper one-quarterback leagues, including Week 8 against New Orleans. He's worth adding for 1 percent of your FAB, and he should be rostered in all Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
