Will Jamies Winston be a saint or sinner in New Orleans this 2022 NFL season?
Experts expect Winston to start at quarterback for the Saints. That's after completing his recovery from the torn ACL he sustained at the halfway point of the previous season. In Superflex and two-QB drafts, he'll be one of the most popular No. 2 Fantasy quarterbacks. Winston's insane games from 2021 (38 points in Week 1, 33 points in Week 5) will stick in the minds of fantasy managers. Take note, however, that he didn't have any other standout outings.
That may change now that he will have three fresh receivers at his disposal. The Saints will have Michael Thomas, who is (hopefully) healthy. They will also have outstanding youngster Chris Olave and experienced slot receiver Jarvis Landry. With these pass catchers, Winston has a lot more potential each week than he had in 2021. Just to be clear, that's not an elite-level receiving corps, but it's better than last year's.
Fantasy football owners just love Winston's play style. Despite the fact that his role has somewhat changed since joining the Saints, he has demonstrated his worth in fantasy leagues. He has even displayed hints of top fantasy performance in 2021.
Saints QB Jameis Winston has been one of the most productive passers in the NFL when extending plays.
Since 2016, Winston leads the league in completion percentage, CPOE, and passer rating on pass attempts when time to throw was 4+ seconds.#Saints pic.twitter.com/YWLBkvBRhZ
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) August 8, 2022
Last year, despite a small sample size, Jameis Winston reminded many of why he was selected first overall in the 2015 NFL Draft and why so many people have counted on him to perform for their fantasy squad over the years. Again, Winston had a strong start to 2021, throwing for five touchdowns in Week 1, and finished as a top-four fantasy football scoring quarterback with 29.62 points.
Winston's lackluster showing against Carolina in Week 2 brought him back to earth, though. He scored fewer than 10 points. Winston returned to top-10 form after completing four touchdown passes against Washington and earned 25.76 fantasy points after two weeks in a row of games averaging around 13 points.
Winston played in seven games in 2021 and finished with 117.4 fantasy points while throwing 14 touchdown passes and just three interceptions. He came in 33rd among fantasy quarterbacks during the season that was cut short by injuries. According to his weekly average, however, Winston would have actually placed 11th overall among fantasy quarterbacks had he played out the whole season.
Jameis Winston's 2022 fantasy football outlook
After undergoing ACL surgery less than eight months prior, Winston took part in the New Orleans Saints mini-camp. Winston did impress and had a clear sense of excitement about working with an improved wide receiver corps. He still turned some heads despite having a noticeable limp. Fans should expect that of anyone following a major surgery.
New Orleans had the poorest producing receiving group in fantasy football. last year. That's with Marquez Callaway leading the way with 6.2 points per week in standard scoring. Recall that the Saints were decimated by injuries a year ago. During his brief stint as the team's starting quarterback, Winston had few reliable offensive targets save running back Alvin Kamara. Chris Olave, the top route runner in his draft class should change that. Ditto with Pro Bowlers Jarvis Landry and Micheal Thomas.
The @nflnetwork's @LT_21 and @SlaterNFL caught up with Michael Thomas after practice today on:
*Being back this season
*The Saints WR room
*Jameis Winston#SaintsCamp pic.twitter.com/0P74Oyux76— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 9, 2022
Winston could quickly become a top-10 fantasy quarterback with these additional weapons and a full season of good health. Remember that if he had stayed healthy and played with a far less talented bunch a year ago, he would have been barely shy of that record.
Keep in mind, though, that Winston or even Micheal Thomas may not be at their best form in 2022. Truth be told, this is never any certainty when it comes to bouncing back from injuries of that scale. However, if they recover well and if they have good team chemistry, Winston might just lead the Saints' offense to new heights this year.
Many draft boards do not rate Winston highly. Many upcoming fantasy drafts, in fact, will choose him in the middle to late rounds. Look no farther than Winston if you're searching for a quarterback sleeper choice. He can also be a good backup who may ultimately start every week.
After the first 15 or so quarterbacks go off the board, that makes Winston a Superflex value selection in Rounds 6 or 7. In leagues with seven or more bench slots, though, owners could pick Winston even later.
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