Jameis

Winston

Things were trending in this direction after Tillman failed to log a full practice during the week and was listed as questionable heading into the weekend. Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore will remain the top two receivers for the Browns for at least one more week, but they will also have tight end David Njoku back on the field after he missed Week 15 due to a hamstring injury. All pass-catchers for the Browns will get downgrade with DTR under center and Jameis Winston listed as the team’s QB3.

Winston is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury. Bailey Zappe will serve as the backup to Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The Browns will list Winston as inactive, meaning he can only enter the game if both Zappe and DTR get hurt. For fantasy managers praying for a Winston takeover in the second half, garbage time will not be your salvation this week. The quarterback situation takes Jerry Jeudy from a borderline WR1 ranking to a measly WR3 projection for his date with Cincinnati.

There isn’t super notable outside of the fact that Dorian Thompson-Robinson may not go the distance against the Bengals. The second-year quarterback has thrown for 540-1-7 in 12 career games while completing 51.4 percent of his passes. He’s almost certainly a downgrade from the turnover-prone Winston, and could test Stefanski’s patience enough for him to pivot back to Winston mid-game if he deems it necessary. Neither quarterback should be counted on from a fantasy perspective.

Winston is slated to backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson against the Bengals in Week 16, but the shoulder ailment could make that untenable. If Winston can’t go, Bailey Zappe would likely be the second-string signal-caller.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski declined to name a Week 16 starter on Monday. It appears he’ll bench Jameis Winston after his disastrous Week 15 outing against the Chiefs in which he threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. Thompson-Robinson under center for Cleveland is a major blow to everyone in the Browns offense. Jerry Jeudy goes from borderline WR1 status to WR4 and David Njoku, fighting through a hamstring injury, will be barely usable in 12-team formats. The Bengals defense is very much in play with the inaccurate DRT starting for the Browns.

Nothing has changed since Sunday, when Stefanski said after the game that he was unwilling to name a starter for next week’s game against the Bengals. Stefanski knows what he has in both Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. With Winston, the Browns have a chance to be an explosive offense that’s just as capable of a 30-point outburst as it is a three-turnover day and no points — as we saw last week. With DTR, the offense’s ceiling is much more capped while the floor remains just as low. Fantasy managers who have something to play for in Week 16 will be pulling for Winston to get the nod, as a move to DTR would be an immediate downgrade for all Browns pass-catchers.

Lucky to escape with “only” three picks, Winston was benched for Dorian Thompson-Robinson with around seven minutes remaining and the Browns down 21-7 in the fourth quarter. “DTR” was even worse, but speaking afterward, coach Kevin Stefanski was noncommittal on Winston’s status going forward. Winston is not the Browns’ future, but neither is DTR. Keeping Winston under center would at least keep the team somewhat functional, but it would be understandable if the Browns decided to throw a DTR Hail Mary in search of a diamond in the rough. If Winston can keep his job one more week, he has a fantasy semifinals smash spot in the Bengals’ league-worst defense. Stay tuned.

It’s a bit of a surprising question to ask when you consider the Browns’ next best options are Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe. Winston doesn’t come without his warts, but there’s little doubt he’s the best quarterback on the Browns’ roster — and that’s taking into account $230 million man Deshaun Watson. Winston has thrown for 1975-13-9 in eight games this season while making seven starts. The former No. 1 overall pick probably won’t be competing for a starting job any time soon, but he ranks among the league’s top backups and should continue to start as long as his performances are passable.

Winston was erratic throughout much of the afternoon, as the Steelers spent a lot of time playing in the Browns’ backfield. At halftime, the veteran quarterback had completed just 8-of-19 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, with his lone score coming on a 35-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy midway through the first quarter. Winston would throw a 15-yard touchdown to David Njoku during fourth quarter garbage time, but the early damage had already been done. Of the two interceptions he threw, the worst came on a screen pass that was picked out of the air by a Steelers lineman on what was truly a Winstonian play. The good news is he avoided pick-sixes. Winston and the Browns get a tough Week 15 matchup against the Chiefs, but it’s a game that could feature plenty of points. Winston should make for a solid QB2 option in 2QB/Superflex leagues.

Winston set a career high with 497 yards, which also now stands as a Browns franchise record for pass yards in a regular season game. To ensure we got the full Jameis experience, he also threw three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. The second pick-six came with under two minutes to play with the team down by two points while his final pick came on the following possession after a defensive pass interference penalty gave the Browns the ball at the two yard line. Even so, it was a remarkable performance from the veteran signal caller that is playing this season a one-year deal. Up next for Winston and the Browns are the Steelers on the road in Week 14.