The fear of the unknown could scare Fantasy owners away from adding new Browns starting quarterback Brian Hoyer to their rosters and especially to their lineups on Sunday. And, in this case, fear is a good thing.
Hoyer is a risky pickup because of the uncertain nature - as usual - of the Browns' quarterback situation. One doesn't know how long Brandon Weeden (thumb) will be sidelined or if he will get his job back upon his return. Jason Campbell is also in the mix if Hoyer doesn't thrive.
That leads to the obvious question: How can any quarterback thrive with the lack of talent on the Cleveland offense? The return of wide receiver Josh Gordon from suspension and emergence of tight end Jordan Cameron are pluses, but everything else in a minus. Both the pass blocking, particularly off the right side, and overall receiver play have been horrendous.
The Minnesota pass defense has been porous against NFC North rival quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Jay Cutler, but Hoyer is far less accomplished with nowhere near the quality of offensive weapons around him. Hoyer might be a decent pickup as a reserve in deeper leagues if he has an encouraging performance on Sunday. But Fantasy owners should bide their time before even considering adding him to their rosters, let alone playing him on Sunday.