Buffalo Bills DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

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.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper continued his holdout on Thursday for the final day of the team's mandatory minicamp while he seeks a long-term contract extension. Cooper is heading into the final year of his current deal in 2024 and is looking for more security on an extension after posting career-highs in receiving yards (1,250) and yards per catch (17.4) despite playing with four different quarterbacks in 2023. The 29-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2015 by the Raiders out of Alabama added 72 receptions and five touchdowns in 15 regular-season games. It's unknown if this holdout will extend into training camp next month, but if it does, Cooper's fantasy stock as a WR2 will dip further after the Browns added Jerry Jeudy in a trade with the Broncos this offseason.

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.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, who is entering the final year of his current deal, is not present for mandatory minicamp this week, which means he'll be subject to fines each day he's not in attendance. The 29-year-old is officially holding out for a new extension, but it remains to be seen if his absence will extend into training camp at the end of July. Cooper had a career-high 1,250 receiving yards and 17.4 yards per catch to go with five touchdowns in 15 regular-season starts in 2023, but he'll be missing valuable time gaining chemistry with quarterback Deshaun Watson (shoulder) if he continues his holdout into training camp. With Jerry Jeudy now in town, Cooper will have a bit more competition for targets in the passing game, potentially making him a more volatile low-end WR2/high-end WR3 in fantasy.