Ray Davis DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy 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 Ray Davis earned six carries and turned that into just nine yards in Sunday's 40-17 win over the New York Jets. He added one reception for four yards as well. As expected, Davis took a clear back seat over James Cook; however, Ty Johnson was also involved and was more effective than Davis on the ground, totaling 25 yards on his five total opportunities. With the Bills' victory in Week 17, they are locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture, making it possible for Davis to get started in Week 18. If that's the case, and based on Johnson's involvement, fantasy managers can expect them to split the backfield if the Bills decide to rest Cook against the New England Patriots for the regular season finale.

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis will not be a viable fantasy option in Sunday's divisional clash with the New York Jets. The rookie back has been used sparingly over the last few weeks and is mostly uninvolved when Buffalo is in a close game. He's been effective with his touches when he has seen the field but has generally been the third backfield option behind teammates James Cook and Ty Johnson. Davis hasn't met or exceeded the 20-snap mark since Week 6's matchup with New York (40) when Cook was dealing with a toe injury. The 25-year-old erupted for 152 total yards on 23 touches in that meeting -- flashing his upside. However, fighting for reps with his backfield mates hurts his value despite picking up snaps in an elite offense. He lands as RotoBaller's PPR RB45 ahead of fantasy championship weekend.

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis has consistently occupied a depth role behind James Cook this season, but that hasn't stopped him from earning touches, especially when the Bills need a change of pace or have mounted a large lead. Davis could see a significant share of garbage-time opportunities this week against the New England Patriots, who have allowed an average of 24.1 points per game to opposing offenses amidst their 3-11 start. The Patriots have struggled against NFL backfields, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards and fifth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2024. This all bodes well for Cook more than Davis, but if Buffalo jumps out to an early lead as expected, we could see the rookie carve out a significant workload, too. He's worth considering as a low-end RB3/FLEX option in leagues with at least 14 teams.

Buffalo Bills rookie running back should be viewed as a high-risk RB3 heading into a Week 15 matchup against the Detroit Lions. Davis has typically been deployed as a change-of-pace option in the Buffalo backfield behind James Cook. Last weekend, during their loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Kentucky product did not log a carry and only saw 12 total offensive snaps. However, in Week 13, Davis ran the ball 11 times for 63 yards and a touchdown. Overall, since Week 8, Davis has averaged 4.8 rushing attempts per game but has produced well in this role, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. While Davis may see a few opportunities near the red zone, he is a high-risk option given his unstable role in the Buffalo offense. Facing a tough Detroit defense that has allowed the second-fewest PPR points to opposing running backs does not make Davis' path much clearer as, well.