Buffalo Bills DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox (ankle, groin) did not take part in Thursday's training camp practice due to a pair of injuries. Because of the fact that Knox isn't practicing late in the week, he's unlikely to suit up for Saturday's preseason contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers as a precaution. There's no indication that his injuries are serious enough to put his availability in question for the Week 1 regular-season opener. The 27-year-old's fantasy stock took a huge hit last year with the addition of rookie Dalton Kincaid. Knox will still have a key role in Buffalo's offense in 2024, but as long as Kincaid stays healthy, he's going to take a clear back seat as a pass-catcher at the tight end position. The former third-rounder in 2019 out of Mississippi had a career-low 22 catches for 186 yards and two scores in 2023 and should stay on the waiver wire in 12-team fantasy leagues unless Kincaid gets hurt.

Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (hamstring) was set to return to training camp practice on Monday. A hamstring injury suffered at the start of camp at the end of July had kept Johnson on the sidelines until this week. Now that the 26-year-old has rejoined the rest of his teammates in practice, he'll continue to compete with rookie Ray Davis for the No. 2 job behind starter James Cook. The former sixth-rounder (186th overall) by the Detroit Lions in 2019 out of Maryland had only 30 carries for 132 yards and no touchdowns while catching all seven of his targets for 62 yards and a touchdown in 10 games for Buffalo in 2023. Johnson was used more late last year after Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator for the Bills. At best, Johnson is a late-round handcuff pick in deep fantasy leagues for those that select Cook.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel made his team debut in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Chicago Bears in Orchard Park, grabbing both of his two passes for 23 yards in the defeat. To jump-start Buffalo's 18-play scoring drive in the first half, quarterback Josh Allen connected with Samuel for 15 yards on a screen pass to the right. Although Samuel registered a measly 9.9 yards per reception over 62 catches with the Washington Commanders a year ago, he's set to operate as one of the Bills' regulars in three-receiver sets along with rookie second-rounder Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir in 2024. The 28-year-old veteran wideout is going to need an uptick in volume if he wants to work his way onto the weekly WR4/flex radar this fall, considering it's rather unlikely he'll make a significant number of splashy plays, but Samuel should also get some work on the ground to furnish a high floor in fantasy.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir led the way with a team-high 28 receiving yards in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Chicago Bears at Highmark Stadium, bringing in each of his three passes in the defeat. On a fourth down early in the second quarter, he had a 19-yard gain to keep an eventual scoring drive alive. Shakir is staring a massive opportunity approaching his third year with the Bills, with top targets Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis now being off the roster. The 24-year-old slot receiver fell almost entirely under the radar throughout most of 2023, but he quietly led the entire NFL with 13.6 yards per target among qualifying wideouts over his 45 regular-season targets. He'll be working alongside newcomer Curtis Samuel, who spent the majority of his time in the slot last season, but Shakir has demonstrated a clear rapport with quarterback Josh Allen. Treat him as a WR4 with WR3 upside in 12-team fantasy drafts.

Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore Jr. showed some juice in Saturday afternoon's preseason loss to the visiting Chicago Bears in Orchard Park, carrying the ball a team-high seven times for 21 yards and catching three of his four targets for 16 yards in the defeat. Gore posted a long run of 12 yards on the day. The 22-year-old Southern Mississippi standout went undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft with uninspiring workout metrics, and like his father before him, Gore will likely need to overcome a lack of explosiveness to make an impact at the next level. He's currently the No. 5 back on Buffalo's RB depth chart, but Saturday's performance against the Bears at least prevented Gore's stock from dropping even further. If he has any chance of making the Bills' roster over journeyman Darrynton Evans and veteran Ty Johnson, he'll need to stand out more in next Saturday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.