JameisWinston

News: 6 days agoWinston (shoulder) finished the 2024 season having completed 181 of 296 pass attempts for 2,212 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while carrying 25 times for 83 yards and a touchdown in 12 appearances. He also lost two fumbles.

Spin: Winston injected life into the Cleveland passing attack after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles injury Week 7, but the short-term boost eventually wore off. A three-game stretch in which he threw eight interceptions -- including multiple pick-sixes -- ended Winston's run as the starter by Week 16. He ended up being inactive as the emergency No. 3 quarterback for the final three games of the season due to a right shoulder injury, but the issue doesn't seem serious and enabled the Browns to turn the offense over to younger signal-callers in Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe down the stretch. Winston will enter the offseason as a free agent and could draw interest as a backup quarterback, though he's unlikely to find a team willing to enter the 2025 season with him as its starter, even as a bridge to a rookie or second-year signal-caller.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: The 2015 first overall draft pick, Winston enters his 10th pro season -- and first in Cleveland -- as the backup to Deshaun Watson. Winston started three games over the past two seasons with the Saints, all in 2022 when he averaged 14.6 points per game, while throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions. Winston's aggressive throwing mentality, along with his ability to create outside of structure, does provide some fantasy intrigue, but his questionable decision-making can lead to turnovers and missed opportunities. Keep Winston on the fantasy radar this season given Watson's availability concerns, but he is not worth drafting at this point.