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Evaluating the Buffalo Bills backfield for fantasy purposes

Theo

Heading into last season, the Buffalo Bills made the decision to let running back Devin Singletary (now with the New York Giants) leave for greener pastures. This pushed RB James Cook into the lead role. He has answered. After rushing for 507 yards while splitting time with Singletary as a freshman, Cook carried the ball 237 times for 1,122 yards last year. That’s solid production from a lead, especially with a capable quarterback factoring in.

Things didn’t pan out as well further down the depth chart. Damien Harris, signed from the New England Patriots to serve as RB2, suffered a serious neck injury in Week 6 and missed the remainder of the season. He retired in March. With Harris lost, the team took a chance on veteran Latavius ​​Murray and even brought RB Leonard Fournette to the practice squad in late October. Even though Murray (79-300-4) was the best of the group, the general lack of production at that spot was an issue.

General manager Brandon Beane hopes to have solved that problem with the selection of Ray Davis in the fourth round, and perhaps even via the signing of undrafted free agent Frank Gore Jr. With major changes at receiver for Buffalo as well, let’s take a look. in the Bills backfield to see who holds value in 2024.

James Cook

Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

A complementary guard as a rookie, Cook went from 110 combined touches in 2022 to 281 last year. While his rushing efficiency has declined – he went from 5.7 yards per carry to 4.7 – he has become a dangerous weapon in the passing game, recording 44 receptions for 445 yards and four touchdowns. This is an area where he could see even more work this year with WRs Stefon Diggs (Houston Texans) and Gabe Davis (Jacksonville Jaguars) both gone.

One area of ​​concern for Fantasy owners is Cook’s lack of success in the red zone. On 326 career carries, the third-year pro has thrown just four touchdowns. A little undersized at 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, he could defer to 211-pound Davis, who is more of a tough guy between the tackles than a big-play threat. That being said, Cook presents himself as the clear leader and one of the focal points of the offense alongside quarterback Josh Allen and tight end Dalton Kincaid.

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Ray Davis

Syndication: Le Courrier-Journal

Injuries and transfers played a significant role in Davis’ college journey, as he played for Temple, Vanderbilt and finally Kentucky, totaling 1,129 yards and 14 touchdowns as a fifth-year senior. Just two months younger than Cook, Davis projects as Buffalo’s likely starting guard, a role the team considered Harris to fill last season before moving on to Murray. Davis is also a capable receiver out of the backfield — he caught seven TD passes last year — and he’s tough to take down.

The rookie, however, lacks flash and has accumulated plenty of touches during this long college career, envisioning his future squarely as a rotational guard.

Ty Johnson and Frank Gore Jr.

Credit: Jérôme Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Venture a little further down the depth chart and you’ll find Johnson, a journeyman type who appeared in 10 games for the Bills last year, gaining 132 yards on 30 carries and serving as RB2 in the playoffs. If injuries arise or Davis falls flat in camp, Johnson could keep this spot hot.

Gore, the son of a likely future NFL Hall of Famer, runs hard and could contribute as a receiver out of the backfield if he makes the roster. Don’t expect him to come close to what his father accomplished.

Fantasy Football Outlook

Despite some struggles in the red zone, Cook’s durability and productivity, combined with the possibility of an even bigger role in 2024, should make him a mid-range, or even high-end, fantasy No. 2 back.

Davis has a chance to make some big hits — the Harris and Murray combo scored five times — but as long as the team is willing to let Allen keep the ball near the goal line, the rookie’s ceiling should stay pretty low . At best, you might view Davis as a low-end RB5, especially if you own Cook, but he feels more like a watch list candidate in less competitive formats.

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