Buffalo Bills DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Remember the 23-touch coming-out party for Buffalo Bills rookie running back Ray Davis in Week 6? A similar opportunity could await the rookie in Week 18. The Bills can't move out of the second seed in the AFC, meaning starters won't play their full allotment of snaps. Head coach Sean McDermott confirmed earlier in the week that both starters and reserves will play. Davis should be in line for at least 12 touches against a bottom-10 run defense in the New England Patriots. Third-down back Ty Johnson should also be heavily involved in the gameplan. Davis can be counted on as an RB2 for fantasy football lineups.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook averages a shade over 15 touches per game this season but that number could plummet in Week 18. The Bills have clinched the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoffs. Head coach Sean McDermott said the team plans on using starters and reserves on Sunday against New England. That means more opportunities for backup running backs Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. Cook can't be trusted in any fantasy football or DFS lineups without the proper volume. His day could be finished after a handful of snaps.

The Buffalo Bills have secured the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoffs, meaning Week 18 will be treated like a preseason game. Head coach Sean McDermott noted earlier in the week that the team plans on using starters and reserves on Sunday against New England. Quarterback Josh Allen will get the start to extend his consecutive starts streak, which dates back to 2018. Fantasy managers should only expect to see Allen for a series before Mitchell Trubisky takes over. The 2017 second overall pick has played 54 snaps across eight blowout games this season. Fantasy managers still playing in Week 18 should look elsewhere for a starting quarterback. Trubisky ranks as a low-end QB2.

The Los Angeles Chargers ruled out wide receiver Joshua Palmer (foot) for the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday versus the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. The Chargers still have a shot to move up to the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff picture if the Steelers lose to the Bengals on Saturday, but they will rest Palmer for this one and hope he's ready to go for the wild-card round next weekend. The 25-year-old has been the Chargers' No. 3 receiver in 2024 behind rookie Ladd McConkey and second-year pass-catcher Quentin Johnston. The role hasn't made him much more than a WR4/5 flex play in deeper fantasy formats on a weekly basis. Palmer will finish the regular season with 39 receptions on 65 targets for 584 yards and just one TD. Either DJ Chark or Derius Davis will step into the WR3 role for the Bolts against the Raiders.

The Buffalo Bills signed quarterback Mike White to a one-year contract extension on Friday that runs through the 2025 season, according to a source. With the Bills planning to sit quarterback Josh Allen after a brief appearance in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival New England Patriots on Sunday, the Bills have elevated White from the practice squad to the active 53-man roster. Backup Mitchell Trubisky is expected to see most of the playing time in a meaningless regular-season finale for Buffalo with the team already locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC for the postseason. The 29-year-old White could also see some run late in Sunday's game, though. White had a nice little run for the New York Jets in four starts in 2022, but he's attempted just six passes since the start of the 2023 season.