Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston saw his day end early in Week 15 vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. It wasn’t due to injury, though, as another spate of turnovers from Winston sent the former first overall pick to the bench.
Why Was Jameis Winston Benched?
Winston has had his usual wild swings from week to week this season, and Bad Jameis appeared on Sunday.
Winston went 16-for-25 with 146 yards, no touchdowns, and three interceptions. It was his third game of the season with three or more interceptions, the only player in the NFL with multiple such games in 2024. That’s despite Winston not making his first start until Week 8.
Bryan Cook picks off Winston!
📺: #KCvsCLE on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/5QzJoRwW0G— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
Dorian Thompson-Robinson entered the game in place of Winston. The 2023 fifth-rounder has appeared in 11 career games with three starts entering Sunday, throwing one touchdown to six interceptions in his young career.
Fantasy Impact of Jameis Winston’s Benching
Winston was being looked at as a popular streaming option for Week 16 with the Browns set to face the hapless Cincinnati Bengals defense. If the Browns are fully pulling the plug on the Jameis-coaster, however, that would drastically alter a couple of important options.
DTR is not really a startable option in fantasy football given his inexperience and total lack of production in the little exposure he’s had so far. Jerry Jeudy could also take a significant hit in value as a result. Since Winston became the starter in Week 8, Jeudy has been the WR2 by PPR points per game behind only Ja’Marr Chase.
It’s understandable if the Browns are sick of Winston’s volatility and would rather get a look at their second-year quarterback with the playoffs out of the question. But for fantasy purposes, many managers would be harmed by that quarterback switch.