Fantasy Football: Jameis Winston ready to lead well-stocked Bucs

The Buccaneers offense is on the rise with second-year quarterback Jameis Winston, who recently told Jamey Eisenberg that it's fun to run an offense with all those weapons.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- Jameis Winston definitely looked the part at Anquan Boldin's charity golf event. He was wearing a polo shirt, golf pants and golf shoes and gave the appearance of knowing his way around a course.

Boldin asked him if he was ready to play, and that's where the facade crumbled.

"I'm just going to look like I know what I'm doing," Winston said as both former Florida State players shared a laugh.

Good thing for the Buccaneers and Fantasy owners that Winston actually knows how to play quarterback. And he could be a breakout candidate this season. Winston played well as a rookie in 2015, but he's looking to improve in his sophomore campaign.

"It was new, it was different and I enjoyed it," Winston told me standing next to his golf cart. "It was always a dream of mine to play in the NFL. Getting a chance to do that was a very good time."

As a rookie, Winston was the No. 15 Fantasy quarterback in standard leagues. He passed for 4,042 yards, 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and ran for 213 yards and six touchdowns. His rushing touchdowns were second among quarterbacks behind Cam Newton, who ran for 10 scores.

If Winston just increases his touchdowns by five and keeps the same stats in every other category, he would be a Top 12 quarterback, and we wouldn't be surprised if he reaches that status. There's a lot to like about Winston this season, and he's worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues. He's also in great shape, having "slimmed" down to 230 pounds.

He improved as the year went on in 2015. He had just three games of at least 20 Fantasy points in his first nine outings, but he finished strong with at least 20 points in four of his final seven games. One thing that will help Winston is Dirk Koetter being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach. That allows for continuity in the offense with the same system in place.

"Having coach Koetter helped me out a lot," Winston said. "It made the transition easier for me. He helped me out so much and always made sure I was prepared."

It also helps Winston that he has an improving receiving corps. Mike Evans had what was considered a down season in 2015 and led the league with 12 drops, but he still posted 74 catches for 1,206 yards and three touchdowns. Koetter said Evans will be better this year, and he and Winston have been working out together this offseason as much as possible.

Vincent Jackson was limited to 10 games because of a knee injury in 2015, but Winston said Jackson has "still got it." He's 33, but he's still a capable No. 2 receiver behind Evans and should rebound after he had just 33 catches for 543 yards and three touchdowns.

And tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins should be considered a sleeper. He only played in seven games because of a shoulder injury and finished with 21 catches for 338 yards and four touchdowns, but Winston loves throwing to his tight ends. Of his 22 touchdown passes last year, eight went to tight ends, which bodes well for Seferian-Jenkins if he can stay healthy.

"When I look out on the field, I see a bunch of tall guys, a bunch of athletic guys and I'm blessed to throw to those guys," Winston said of his receiving corps.

We consider Evans a low-end No. 1 Fantasy receiver worth drafting in Round 3, Jackson is worth a late-round flier as long as he's healthy for training camp and Seferian-Jenkins should also be drafted with a late-round pick. If he stays healthy, Seferian-Jenkins could be this year's version of Tyler Eifert based on his expected Average Draft Position compared to his potential production.

While Winston is fond of his receiving corps, he's also excited that Doug Martin returned as a free agent. Winston said having Martin play at a high level made things easier for him, and he's excited to keep that continuity in place.

"I was pulling for him to get signed," Winston said. "Doug meant so much for us, and I'm happy to have him back."

Martin was second in the NFL behind Adrian Peterson in rushing, and he was the No. 3 running back in standard leagues with 288 carries for 1,402 yards and six touchdowns and 33 catches for 271 yards and one touchdown. He will continue to share touches with Charles Sims, who had 107 carries for 529 yards and 51 catches for 561 yards and four touchdowns, and this is a quality tandem.

Martin should again be considered a No. 1 Fantasy running back worth drafting in Round 3, and Sims is a sleeper worth taking with a mid-round pick, especially in PPR leagues. If Martin struggles or gets hurt then Sims could be a star.

This should be a fun offense to watch if Winston improves as expected in his second year. Most Fantasy owners won't point to the Buccaneers as an offensive juggernaut like the Patriots, Packers or Saints, but they could be a nice surprise this season if everyone stays healthy.

As for his golf game, I don't know what Winston shot in the scramble at PGA National, which is home of the Honda Classic. I do know that while he might dress like a golfer he can definitely play the part of NFL quarterback, which is all that matters to Fantasy owners this season.