Jameis Winston injury: What status means for Week 3 fantasy football

Game day update: Jameis Winston is officially ACTIVE.

Game day update: Jameis Winston will be in the starting lineup on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport. Notably, Taysom Hill is not expected to play due to his rib injury, which removes some of the downside to Winston’s fantasy value.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Jameis Winston is dealing with what sounds like a painful back injury, fractures in his back to more specific. However, it’s not likely to be problematic enough to keep him out of action. Winston is listed as questionable on this week’s injury report, but he did practice, in a limited role, with the team for all three days this week.

The Saints travel to face the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

Fantasy football implications

Winston had a tough outing last week. He threw for 236 yards and a touchdown, completing 25 of 40 attempts, while also tossing three picks to his former team, the Buccaneers. The Panthers aren’t exactly a pushover either. They’ve allowed just two passing touchdown to opposing signal callers this season.

Winston’s backup is Andy Dalton. Though, if Winston can’t play, it wouldn’t be unusual to see a heavier dose of Taysom Hill, who’s also dealing with an injury. Either way, the Saints quarterbacks might be best avoided this week.