It was expected that Jameis Winston would continue his late-season string of solid games on Sunday against a New Orleans Saints defense that ranked at or near the bottom in several passing defense metrics.
Fantasy start/sit advice, Week 15: Jameis Winston
The Buccaneers rookie signal caller hopes to get back on track for Week 15. We break down the fantasy implications.
Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
However, the Saints defense, now with Dennis Allen as its coordinator, dug in its heels and limited the surging rookie to just 182 yards and a touchdown pass. It was the first time in 2015 that the Saints held a quarterback to under 200 yards, and it marked just the fourth time in 13 games a quarterback was held under 300 against them. Winston also had to deal with the absence of Vincent Jackson since the second quarter, and could ultimately not do enough from the pocket to best the Saints at home.
Fantasy impact: Winston won't have a better matchup all season, and the St. Louis Rams have quietly been a nuisance to the fantasy numbers of opposing quarterbacks in 2015, but they are far from invulnerable. Jackson's status will impact Winston's ceiling on Thursday night, but even if he takes the field at full capacity, Winston remains a high-variance option during the thick of the fantasy playoffs.
Winston is still yet to eclipse the 300-yard mark in his career, and fantasy owners may have to look elsewhere if they want a reliable streaming option for the fantasy playoffs.
