Explaining why the Buffalo Bills’ new WR is a great fantasy football pick

There’s plenty of excitement surrounding Buffalo Bills rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman, as well as breakout candidates Khalil Shakir and Dalton Kincaid.

All three should play significant roles in Josh Allen’s offense, but none have as much fantasy football value as free agent addition Curtis Samuel.

Let me explain why I believe Samuel is a potentially very rewarding unexpected pick who seems certain to significantly outperform his average draft position, which should end up somewhere in the late rounds.

It all hinges on the idea that the stage is set for Samuel, who will soon be 28, to have a career year in 2024.

As it stands, the environment in Buffalo is definitely more conducive to success than any of the receiver’s previous stops.

First, Josh Allen is hands down the best quarterback to ever play for Samuel. After catching passes from Cam Newton early in his career, Samuel has since been paired with the likes of Kyle Allen, Teddy Bridgewater, Taylor Heinicke and Sam Howell. The 2017 second-round pick has topped 600 receiving yards in four of the last five seasons with a different starting quarterback each time.

Allen has brought out the best in his receivers. He made undrafted free agent Robert Foster look like a legitimate NFL receiver in 2018. Cole Beasley had the best production of his career playing with Allen and John Brown was a 1,000-yard receiver in 2019. Stefon Diggs didn’t reach his ceiling until he teamed up with Buffalo’s QB1.

Next, it’s important to recognize that Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady was the Carolina Panthers’ playmaker for one season under head coach Matt Rhule. It was that 2020 season that remains Samuel’s best statistical performance in the pros to this day.

Samuel totaled 1,051 scrimmage yards and caught a career-high 79.4 percent of receiving targets in 2020 with Bridgewater as QB1.

With the departures of Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis freeing up a combined 241 targets, Samuel will likely have more opportunities than the 97 balls thrown his way in 2020, when he had 77 receptions for 851 yards. Robby Chosen and DJ Moore both topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark with Brady as the playmaker.

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Allen and Brady make Samuel a real possibility to reach 1,000 yards receiving this season in 2024. Then there’s the fact that the former Ohio State running back can run the ball effectively in certain situations. He carried the ball 41 times for 200 yards and two touchdowns in 2020.

A multifaceted threat on what has been one of the NFL’s best offenses in recent years is a recipe for fantasy football success. Use a late-round pick on Samuel and thank me later.

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