Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter confirmed that rookie quarterback Jameis Winston continued to play with a sprained ankle that he suffered in the team's second preseason game. Despite this, Winston is expected to be full speed in time for a Week 1 NFL debut, according to ESPN's Pat Yasinskas.
Jameis Winston still has sprained ankle, remains a stash in dynasty fantasy leagues
The Buccaneers’ rookie quarterback has been playing hurt, but that won’t stop him from making his NFL debut on Week 1. We break down the fantasy implications.
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The No. 1 overall pick played well into the third quarter of the Buccaneers’ third preseason game, despite the injury. It’s a risky move for head coach Lovie Smith to make, but it’s clearly important for their young signal caller to get in his reps at game speed. Winston indicated in Yasinskas’ report that playing with a sprained ankle is nothing new to him, and that the pain “isn’t that bad.”
Fantasy Spin: While certainly something for fantasy owners to take note of, it doesn’t appear that Winston is in any danger of missing time. Though coaches typically are cautious in the preseason when a player is ailing, it speaks volumes for the Buccaneers’ brass to have trotted Winston out for significant snaps.
Winston remains off the radar in redraft formats, but is a premium dynasty stash for 2015 and beyond. With ample receiving talent surrounding him, seeing the Florida State product make an early splash isn’t out of the question.
