Jameis Winston vs. Bengals: Stats, Reaction and Updated 2015 Fantasy Advice

Jameis Winston's Monday night ended a bit earlier than expected after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers removed him as a precaution in the second quarter of their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Winston suffered a minor foot/ankle injury.

Here's a look at his numbers from the game:

Passing	Comp./Att.	Yards	TD	INT
Rushing	Carries	Yards	TD	---
	8/13	90	0	0
	1	1	1	---

Recap and Reaction

On the Buccaneers' first possession of the game, Winston engineered an eight-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in his one-yard scramble into the end zone, via the NFL:

While Doug Martin was responsible for gaining 52 of those 80 yards, Winston still showed good poise in the pocket and did well to quickly get rid of the ball before the pocket collapsed. ESPN's Max Bretos highlighted another positive takeaway for Bucs fans:

One aspect of the drive that Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith probably could've done without was Winston's headfirst dive into the end zone. Smith specifically spoke about his desire for Winston to put himself in fewer dangerous positions on the run.

"Well, he hadn't run the ball (until then)," he said of Winston after the Minnesota Vikings game, per Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. "So, yes, in these coming weeks we will work on teaching him how to protect himself a little better and when to get down."

Still, Smith can't be too upset after Winston put six points on the board.

Meanwhile, ESPN's Robert Flores wondered if Winston is going to foot the bill for any ESPN property he damaged in the course of that run:

Tampa Bay's offense stalled on Winston's remaining drives, but that wasn't all due to poor quarterback play. The Buccaneers constantly shot themselves in the foot, picking up 11 first-half penalties totaling 130 yards.

Overall, Monday night represented progress after Week 1 of the preseason, when Winston went 9-of-19 for 131 passing yards and an interception. Sports Illustrated's Doug Farrar noticed a trend that carried over from that loss to the Vikings but was equally optimistic about Winston's ability to vary his throws:

Bleacher Report's Cian Fahey succinctly summed up the general feeling about Winston:

"

If you're a skeptic, tonight's Winston game was for you. If you're a believer, tonight's Winston game was for you: http://t.co/wydzKO7ZIA

— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) August 25, 2015"

Fantasy Outlook

Winston can throw for 400 yards in each of the Buccaneers' last two preseason games, and he'll still be a fringe QB2/waiver-wire option in standard fantasy leagues.

After Florida State lost two of its best playmakers—Kelvin Benjamin and Devonta Freeman—from its national championship-winning team, Winston became a bit of a gunslinger, throwing 18 interceptions along with 25 touchdowns.

Especially early on in his NFL career, Winston will try to make throws that simply aren't there. While he has a great arm, that kind of mentality could result in turnovers on more than a few occasions.

It's certainly tempting to imagine Winston's potential in his rookie year with Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins at his disposal. But any progress he makes on the field is bound to come with some setbacks as well. In time, Winston may prove himself worthy of QB1 status, but he's undeserving of it now.

You should definitely keep Winston on your radar in daily fantasy leagues. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints were among the worst teams against the pass in 2014, and the Bucs will get each team twice this year.

The former Heisman Trophy winner could be a smart gamble if the right matchup comes along.