Fantasy Football 2015 Preview: Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota Better Rookie Pick For Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans?

Jul 27, 2015 01:17 PM EDT
Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston
NFL Draft prospects Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston prepare for workouts during the 2015 NFL scouting combine."

Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Winston has the worse offensive line; the Buccaneers allowed 52 sacks last season and were 29th in rushing yards.

New additions Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet should help solidify the Bucs line but this is not certain. Winston definitely has the better receiving core though as Mike Evans has broken out to be the next star of the Buccaneers. If you add Kenny Bell, the talented speedster out of Nebraska and the already dominant Vincent Jackson, Winston could be set to put up some numbers this season. Winston also has a more reliable running back in Doug Martin than Bishop Sankey which will allow him to pass the ball more effectively.  

Winston may not be as effective as he was in college his first season in the NFL but I expect him to put up more points with the weapons around him.

Receiving Core: (Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson, Louis Murphy, Russell Shepard, Kenny Bell, Robert Herron, Austin Seferian-Jenkins)

Marcus Mariota: (Tennessee Titans): Mariota has the better offensive line but fewer weapons. Dorial Green-Beckham should become a monster in the end zone thanks to his game breaking size.

Justin Hunter will most likely be suspended and or possibly released. Kendall Wright will make the most out of his time with Mariota as he has been the most productive wide receiver on the team in the past few seasons. Harry Douglas has been a good role player for the Falcons but expect him to still be a reliable option to Mariota. Hakeem Nicks has only looked slower for the past few seasons so I cannot possibly expect a strong resurgence at this point. Delanie Walker was the Titans secret weapon last year; he will continue to make himself a top fantasy tight end by being one of the biggest targets on the field for Mariota.

The Titans need Mariota to score points as their running game has become stagnant, so the offense will be largely directed by the number 2 overall pick. He will throw the ball more than Winston and will probably run with it more than him too but this also sets him up for a bigger fall. If by week 4 the Titans have not established a passing game or Mariota struggles with his lack of weapons we could hear talks of Zach Mettenberger coming into save the day (it seems unlikely but after Johnny Manziel anything is possible).

Receiving Core: (Justin Hunter, Kendall Wright, Harry Douglas, Hakeem Nicks, Dorial Green-Beckham, Delanie Walker)

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