Fantasy Football: Your simple guide to the AFC East

Buffalo Bills simple fantasy football guide

Quarterback

The quarterback position in Buffalo is a case study of the difference between something being good for a football team vs. something being good for a fantasy football team. For the record, I am a card-carrying member of the pro-Josh Allen camp and believe the Buffalo Bills have a bright future.

But I’m pretty leery of Allen as a fantasy quarterback this year despite his solid 2019 campaign.

He offers so much upside with his running ability that it’s hard not get excited when he takes off and I absolutely love it when he tries to run over a defender. However, if the Bills truly believe he’s “the guy”, then — at some point — they will ultimately have to tailor the offense to limit his rushing opportunities and protect their investment. All teams do it.

The window of opportunity to win the AFC East may be wide open now that Tom Brady has flown south, which leads me to believe that this season the Bills will crush Allen’s fantasy value by forbidding him from rushing and will likely try to speed up the process of developing him as a pocket passer. After all, isn’t that why they paid a first-round draft pick for wide receiver Stefon Diggs and drafted running back Zack Moss in the third round?

They are trying to surround their young quarterback with playmakers so that he doesn’t have to make all the plays. Good for football, bad for fantasy football.

Running Back

Devin Singletary had a respectable rookie campaign in 2019 and legitimately earned the starting role by season’s end. He quelled the murmurings that he was too small to be an NFL running back by routinely breaking tackles. No doubt about it, Singletary is a hard runner.

However, so is Zack Moss. The rookie running back from Utah should see ample playing time as a second fiddle to Singletary but I do not believe he is a threat to take the starting role. I expect the offense to improve quite a bit this year and would be comfortable with Singletary as the second or third running back on my team but I’m definitely a running back-heavy strategist.

Wide Receiver

Last year’s big additions to the receiving corps came in small packages. Both John Brown and Cole Beasley are returning for the 2020 season. While there’s no doubt they were an upgrade to the position and Brown is a solid WR3 for your fantasy team this year, neither of them possesses true No. 1 receiver abilities.

Stefon Diggs is one of the best young vertical threats in the NFL. If he can get on the same page with Josh Allen and that cannon arm, then the AFC East may be Buffalo’s for the taking. I don’t see anyone in this receiving corps breaking 100 receptions, but I do look for both Diggs and Brown to have solid seasons in terms of yardage and touchdowns. They’ll certainly be worth their draft price.

Tight End

Buffalo will likely rotate between veteran Tyler Kroft and sophomore Dawson Knox to fill the tight end position. While Knox is a capable receiver, Buffalo’s vertical offense doesn’t really equate to many opportunities for a tight end to insert himself in the passing game. I would fade taking either of these guys.