Buffalo Bills

BuffaloBills.com's Chris Brown lists Buffalo Bills second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid as a breakout candidate in 2024 after finishing eighth among tight ends in his rookie season in receptions with 73. With receiver Stefon Diggs now gone -- Diggs was the only player in the passing game that had more targets than Kincaid in 2023 -- the opportunity is ripe for Kincaid to lead the team in that category this year. If he stays healthy, the former 25th overall pick could be a top-five fantasy tight end in just his second year in the league. In addition to his 73 receptions (on 91 targets), Kincaid had 673 receiving yards and two touchdowns in 16 regular-season games (11 starts) in 2023. Kincaid's combination of talent at a shallow position and the opportunity in Buffalo in 2024 will make him pretty attractive in all fantasy setups.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (lower body) said he's all good and expects to be 100 percent healthy for the start of training camp at the end of July. Shakir suffered an undisclosed lower-body injury during minicamp practice earlier this week and didn't practice the rest of the week. However, it appears that the injury isn't serious and won't keep him off the field for the start of training camp. Now that both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis aren't in Buffalo, the 24-year-old former fifth-round pick in 2022 will have an increased role in the Bills' passing attack in 2024 after finishing the 2023 season off on a strong note. Still, Shakir has a ways to go to become relevant in standard-sized fantasy leagues after catching 39 passes for 611 yards and only two touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (10 starts) in his second NFL campaign in 2023.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook dropped five passes last season, which ranked sixth among all qualified running backs. Early in offseason activities, the third-year pro out of Georgia has continued to struggle in that area, according to Bills reporter Alex Brasky. "James Cook allowed a pass to bounce off his hands, high into the air near the start of team drills at Wednesday's mandatory minicamp." Brasky wrote, "Cook encountered issues with drops last season and has done little to ramp down those concerns during offseason activities." While this is somewhat of a concern, it can often be overplayed when analyzing a player's fantasy football value. After catching 44 passes for 445 yards and ranking second among running backs in yards per reception, the team is unlikely to pull back his receiving workload. That said, rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis caught 62 passes over his final two collegiate seasons in the SEC and could become a factor on third downs.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (lower body) walked off the field after suffering an injury during the early portion of 7-on-7 drills Tuesday, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. Shakir briefly stood on the sideline with a trainer before leaving the field. This is a significant development for Buffalo given that Shakir was competing for a starting role after the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason. The Boise State product showed flashes of potential in 2023, including over the final three weeks of the campaign when he caught all 13 of his targets for 189 receiving yards. Fantasy managers should monitor his injury status going forward, though he's not a super appealing option in typical 12-team redraft leagues anyway.

The Buffalo Bills signed veteran wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to a one-year deal worth up to $4.5 million on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. MVS is no stranger to playing with elite quarterbacks between his time with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay and Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and he'll now be in line to catch passes from Josh Allen in Buffalo. The 2018 fifth-round pick out of South Florida has not posted monster fantasy football numbers, but he has spike-week upside thanks to his field-stretching speed. That said, he's likely going to be more useful in "real life" compared to fantasy football based on his production profile thus far. In six NFL seasons, the 29-year-old has not eclipsed 690 yards or six touchdowns in a single season. Last year, he caught just 21 passes for 315 yards and one touchdown in 16 games. He's an interesting late-round flyer in best ball formats, but he might be a wasted roster spot in traditional leagues. MVS will compete with Khalil Shakir and Curtis Samuel for snaps in 2024, as second-round rookie Keon Coleman should be a locked-in starter.