Eddie Brown
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Knowledge is power and the greatest asset you can acquire in order to compete for a fantasy football championship.
Here’s your 2023 preview of the Buffalo Bills, the ninth of 32 team profiles during draft season:
— 2023 Fantasy MVP: Josh Allen, QB
Only Patrick Mahomes (ADP: 14) is being drafted higher than Allen (ADP: 17) at the position. Only 16.2 overall points separated the two signal-callers in 2022, according to Fantasy Pros. The argument to take Allen over Mahomes begins and ends with his legs. In five seasons starting in the NFL, Allen’s Per 17 Games average rushing stats are 682 yards and eight touchdowns. Mahomes’ are 331 yards and three TDs.
— 2023 Fantasy Sleeper: James Cook, RB
Damien Harris (ADP: 125) and Latavius Murray (ADP: 303) will compete to see who will vulture TDs from Cook (ADP: 67) close to the goal-line, but Allen will likely remain the top vulture regardless of who wins that competition. However, the winner will have value in deeper standard formats. I anticipate Cook will thrive in PPR, where Devin Singletary finished as the overall RB18 and RB23 the last two seasons for the Bills. Cook is a better receiver and significantly more explosive than Singletary, who is now in Houston.
— 2023 Fantasy Bust: Stefon Diggs, WR
It’s difficult to find a true “bust” candidate here. Maybe rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid, but I’m drinking the Kool-Aid with him being used primarily as a slot receiver and his price tag isn’t prohibitive as the TE11 in most drafts. So I’m left with Diggs (ADP: 11), who I like very much and has produced 338 receptions, 4,189 yards and 29 TDs in his three seasons in Buffalo, but his targets have dropped slightly each season — from 166 to 164 to 154. What happens if the Gabe Davis breakout comes in 2023? — His ankle is healthy. Both Kincaid and Cook are dynamic targets for Allen as well, and there have been talks of the Bills wanting to run more to keep Allen healthy. Is Diggs a bust if you draft him as the WR5 and he finishes as the WR12?
— 2023 Fantasy Rookie to Watch: Dalton Kincaid, TE
Kincaid (ADP: 110) scored at least eight touchdowns in each of his four full collegiate seasons at San Diego and Utah. He’s a liability as a blocker, but he’s a fluid athlete, smooth route runner (something he’s worked on) with great hands and is a clear and present danger in the red zone. He played 55% of his snaps from the slot and almost 10% from out wide in 2022 for the Utes, which speaks to how the Bills will likely utilize him this season. If you pass on Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews early, you can target Kincaid seven or eight rounds later.
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