The Bills used the seventh pick of the 2018 NFL Draft on Josh
Allen, the big-armed quarterback from the University of Wyoming
known for impressive athleticism for a big man, and a cannon for
an arm that is rivaled only by Patrick Mahomes.
Allen flashed his brilliance at times with the Wyoming Cowboys
in the Mountain West Conference. He also flashed questionable
decision making and a penchant for holding on to the ball too
long.
Not surprisingly, Allen threw for more interceptions than touchdowns,
while completing just 53% of his passes for a rookie. But he did
provide a ton of fantasy value for owners willing to deal with
the negative plays, with 631 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Don’t let his 21st overall finish in fantasy points per
game fool you. Allen finished the final five games of the 2018
season as the No.1 QB with 28.8 fantasy points per game, two full
points per game higher than Patrick Mahomes.
When you consider the additions at wide receiver, with Cole Beasley
providing an outlet over the middle and John Brown joining Robert
Foster as a legit deep threat, you could make a case for Allen
being one of the better fantasy values this season based on his
late-round draft cost.
To say that 2018 was a disappointment for Shady McCoy would be
a gross understatement. The former fantasy stud dealt with offseason
domestic issues and was limited to just 14 games due to injury.
His 6.7 fantasy points per game were the worst of his career
and the first time since his rookie campaign in which he failed
to post double-digit FPts/G. At age 31, McCoy is getting up there
in age for running backs, and the best is certainly behind him.
However, should he make the roster and not be a trade or cap casualty,
Shady could be one of the better late-round running back options.
The Bills have the most talent at wide receiver since the departure
of Robert Woods and Sammy Watkins, and Josh Allen’s rushing
ability will make it difficult for defenses to zero in on McCoy.
McCoy is a high-risk, high-reward player with a sizable range
of outcomes that could include RB2 production, or he could be
released in favor of third-round pick Devin Singletary.
The ageless one continues to defy logic by playing running back
at the ripe old age of 36. In just 14 games, Gore rushed for 722
yards on 156 carries, for a respectable 4.6 per carry average
in his final year with the Dolphins.
It is difficult to project much fantasy success for Gore as a
member of the Bills in 2019, a team with LeSean McCoy and T.J.
Yeldon looking to share touches with third-round pick Devin Singletary.
It would not surprise us to see Singletary emerge as the back
to own in Buffalo this season, but we have bet against Gore in
the past, and he always seems to surprise.
Clearly, the running back of the future for the Bills, third-round
pick Devin Singletary joins a Buffalo backfield filled with two
running backs with the combined age of 67 years in Frank Gore
and LeSean McCoy.
As a junior At Florida Atlantic, Singletary scored 22 rushing
touchdowns in just 12 games, finishing his illustrious college
career with 66 rushing touchdowns in 36 games. As a sophomore
in 2017, Singletary led the nation in rushing touchdowns with
32, a whopping nine more touchdowns than the second player finisher,
Rashaad Penny of San Diego State.
Despite his slight stature at 5’7”, 203 pounds, Singletary
is a stud prospect and will eventually get a chance to shine with
the Bills. The question is, when will that opportunity come, as
he enters camp behind McCoy, Gore, and T.J. Yeldon.
Jones took an impressive jump in production from his rookie season
to his sophomore campaign, posting 56 catches for 652 yards and
seven touchdowns on 102 targets. The problem is he failed to post
a single game of 100 receiving yards, and he reached double figures
in fantasy points just four times last year.
The Bills added depth at the position with the addition of Cole
Beasley and John Brown, and the emergence of Robert Foster last
year could also lead to fewer targets for Jones in 2019. Although
they will likely throw more this season than they did last year
as the 31st ranked passing offense, there is not a ton of volume
to go around on the Bills and Jones might be the third or fourth
option in the passing game.
In just one season with the Ravens, Brown caught only 42 passes
for 715 yards and five touchdowns on 97 targets from the combination
of Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson. Despite the inadequate production
for fantasy numbers, it was a good sign to see Brown play in his
first full season since 2014, and he set a career-high with a
YPC average of 17.0.
As one of four options in a passing game that does not project
to have a ton of volume, Brown will likely be more of a target
in non-PPR formats that PPR. But owners looking for a home run
option may want to consider a flyer on Brown, as he is one of
the better deep threats in the league and few quarterbacks possess
a better deep ball arm than Josh Allen.
Beasley had very little fantasy value as the underneath option
for Dak Prescott in the Cowboys’ offense. It is somewhat
difficult to see how his prospects have improved for fantasy purposes
as a member of the Bills, a team that threw the second-fewest
passes in 2018. Perhaps injuries could open the door for Beasley
to find some value in deep PPR formats, but entering the draft
season, he is not someone who should garner much consideration
in drafts in standard 12-team leagues.
Foster emerged out of nowhere last season to become a favorite
deep ball target for fellow rookie, Josh Allen. The former undrafted
player from Alabama posted three double-digit games from Week
10 on, including a seven-catch, 104-yard game against the Lions
Week 15.
His breakout end to the season ignited the belief that he would
enter 2019 as the number one wide receiver for the Bills. However,
the additions of John Brown and Cole Beasley somewhat quelled
that narrative, and early training camp reports of Foster running
with the second team, behind Brown and Beasley, add more question
marks regarding the second-year wide receivers fantasy prospects
for 2019.
