Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir capitalized on Gabe Davis' (knee) absence as the team topped the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in Monday's wild-card action, catching all three of his targets for 31 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Josh Allen turned Shakir's way on his first pass of the evening, but the 23-year-old slot receiver initially took a backseat in an elevated role. That all changed when Shakir made a heads-up play by keeping his balance on a Minkah Fitzpatrick tackle attempt for a thrilling 17-yard catch-and-run score midway through the fourth quarter to give the Bills a commanding 31-17 cushion. While the three looks were a bit disappointing, Shakir provided excellent value for those who played him in DFS at nearly DraftKings' minimum cost and demonstrated why he was quietly one of the league's more efficient wideouts this year. Shakir's Divisional Round outlook will closely hinge upon Davis' availability next Sunday.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid stung the Pittsburgh Steelers with a team-leading 59 yards as his squad advanced to the second round in Monday's 31-17 wild-card triumph, also catching a touchdown. The first-round rookie caused problems all evening for a defense struggling to keep him in check, drawing a holding penalty in the fourth quarter. In relation to the box score, Kincaid made a tough 20-yard grab on Buffalo's first possession to kick-start a scoring drive that ended with Dawson Knox hitting paydirt. Kincaid then streaked up the seam for a 29-yard score after a Pittsburgh turnover, but the Steelers later broke up a goal-line pass at the last minute to deny what would have been Kincaid's second TD of the day. Racking up 76.7 yards per game over his last three contests, Kincaid would remain a popular DFS play next Sunday if No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis (knee) remains out for the Divisional matchup versus the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was a pretty quiet day for Buffalo Bills running back James Cook when the team defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in Monday's wild-card round, but he still put in 79 yards on 18 rushing attempts and chipped in four receptions for four yards. The Steelers mostly bottled Cook up despite missing all-world defender T.J. Watt (knee) on Monday, as the explosive 24-year-old tailback was only able to round up a long gain of 12 yards on the evening. After Cook's five-game frenzy between Weeks 10 through 15 saw him stockpile at least 100 scrimmage yards in each meeting, the wheels have started to fall off just a bit. Failing to find the end zone since the hot streak ended, Cook has also been unable to transcend the 80-yard marker on the ground during this four-game cold spell. Cook did tally a season-high 83 receiving yards in Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, who he will square off with in next Sunday's Divisional battle.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was too much for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Monday's 31-17 wild-card win, completing 21-of-30 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns with 74 yards on eight carries plus a rushing score. Buffalo's opening possession produced a systematic scoring drive that was capped off by a nine-yard TD pass to Dawson Knox. Allen then may have caught Pittsburgh's defense off guard after a sudden change of possession, slinging a 29-yard pass to Dalton Kincaid for his second score. None of the Steelers could catch Allen on an exhilarating 52-yard run to the house in the second quarter, completing the dual-threat signal-caller's first-half hat trick. Though his receiver did most of the work, Allen connected with Khalil Shakir in the fourth period for his fourth TD to put the Bills ahead 31-17 late. For the third time in four years, Allen will have a playoff duel with Patrick Mahomes at home next Sunday in the Divisional Round.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (illness) did not participate in Thursday's practice due to an illness, but he was removed from the injury report on Friday and will be active for Monday's Super Wild Card Weekend game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Knox played second fiddle to impressive rookie Dalton Kincaid throughout the regular season, and that's unlikely to change during the postseason. 2023 was easily the 27-year-old former Pro Bowler's weakest statistical campaign, averaging 1.8 receptions for 15.5 yards (8.5 yards per catch) with two total touchdowns over 12 games. Even with starting wideout Gabe Davis (knee) sidelined on Monday coupled with a cheap $2,900 DraftKings salary, it's not enough to make Knox relevant outside of single-game DFS showdowns as a TD-dependent dart throw. Unless you're searching for a contrarian option, Knox should be avoided.