Ryan Fitzpatrick's Fantasy Outlook After Jameis Winston's Injury

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and some fantasy football players are reeling after quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a shoulder injury during Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Saints, but backup Ryan Fitzpatrick remains an option to keep both afloat.

Field Yates of ESPN reported Fitzpatrick replaced Winston after the starter suffered the injury. He completed eight of 15 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown and added 30 yards on three carries. 

Fitzpatrick saw playing time earlier this season when Winston suffered a shoulder injury and threw for 290 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in a game against the Arizona Cardinals.

The best thing for Fitzpatrick from a fantasy perspective is the weapons he has around him in the Tampa Bay offense. Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson are both big-play receivers who can turn the signal-caller's questionable throws into touchdowns at a moment's notice.

What's more, he already established a notable connection with tight end Cameron Brate:

Fitzpatrick is not far removed from an impressive 2015 campaign when he threw for 3,905 yards and 31 touchdowns as a member of the New York Jets.

Fantasy players looking for quarterback help would love to have those numbers again, and he has a better resume than some would guess, as Ryan Bass of 10 News in Tampa highlighted:

However, interceptions remain a concern for Fitzpatrick, and they proved particularly costly last season when he was in scoring position:

He threw 17 picks last season and 15 in 2015, although the difference in 2016 was the fact his touchdown passes dropped to a mere 12.

Fitzpatrick is 34 years old and not a long-term fantasy solution as last year indicated, but he can get fantasy players through a bye week or a short-term injury for their normal starter until Winston returns.