Buffalo Bills Daily Fantasy News, Rankings, Projections

He simply didn't perform well during the offseason and hasn't earned his worth here quite yet. It's possible he's back in the mix in the coming weeks. This doesn't really change anything for Baltimore.

Tyrod Taylor was carted off the field yesterday after he hurt his knee but he reportedly avoided ligament damage and is considered day-to-day with a patellar tendon contusion. If he misses any time, it would put rookie Nathan Peterman under center again, who will reportedly try to throw fewer than five interceptions in the first half. He didn’t throw any in relief of Taylor this weekend and fortunately for the Bills, they’ll be taking on one of the worst secondaries in the league when they host the Colts on Sunday. They’re giving up the most yards per attempt (8.3) while giving up the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs and ranking 13th in total interceptions (10). They were without their best corner, Rashaan Melvin (hand), in Week 13 and Blake Bortles tore them up, completing 74% of his passes for 309 yards and two scores. Melvin isn’t expected back this week and fellow starting CB Pierre Desir left Week 13 early with a shoulder injury. That could leave them with Quincy Wilson and Kenny Moore on the outside, who would rank 99th and 111th in PFF coverage grades if they qualified. On top of that, the Colts are 29th in adjusted sack rate and generally struggle to apply pressure on QBs. It’s going to be incredibly hard to trust Peterman and his pass-catchers if he starts but this matchup is worlds apart from his debut against the Chargers. Travaris Cadet is in the concussion protocol. He handled seven touches on Sunday. Mike Tolbert missed the past few games but he’s expected to return to practice this week. If both players end up out, it would open up a monster workload for LeSean McCoy. On the defensive side of things, CB Tre’Davious White is in the concussion protocol after taking a late hit from Rob Gronkowski. He’s had a fantastic rookie season, currently ranking fifth in PFF coverage grades and 13th in cover snaps per reception (14.5) while boasting a 51% catch rate. He’d primarily see Chester Rogers if he suits up, so his absence would be an upgrade for the receiver. Outside of one explosive game against the Steelers - when a huge chunk of his 6/6/104/1 line came on a 61-yard TD - he’s been relatively quiet, failing to top 35 yards or score. In another blow to their run defense, DE Shaq Lawson was carted off with an ankle injury. He’s PFF’s 31st-ranked edge defender against the rush and ranks 18th at his position in run-stop rate. His absence would help Frank Gore.

Matthew Stafford has a bruised throwing hand which shouldn’t prevent him from playing this weekend against the Buccaneers, whose defense is allowing the second-most yards per attempt (7.9) and fifth-highest completion percentage (67%). Stafford is eighth among quarterbacks with 7.8 ypa but he’s taken the second-most sacks (38) as he’s playing behind the 24th-ranked offensive line in pass blocking efficiency. Both RT Rick Wagner and RG T.J. Lang exited Week 12 early which is bad news considering they have the 9th and 5th-best pass blocking grades at their respective positions (per PFF). Fortunately for Stafford, Tampa Bay is dead last in adjusted sack rate (per FO).

Zach Ertz will have to the clear the concussion protocol after being forced from Sunday night’s game early with a head injury. That makes him questionable for Week 14. Last time he missed a game, Brent Celek played 81% of the snaps and Trey Burton played 70% and they ran routes on 35% and 38% of their plays, respectively. They both saw four targets but Burton was the only one to find the end zone. They’ll have a tougher matchup for TEs this time around when they visit the Rams, whose defense is allowing the sixth-fewest PPR points to the position while ranking fifth in DVOA.

Delanie Walker sprained his ankle on a touchdown grab and is considered day-to-day. He played well Sunday, catching all five of his targets for 63 yards the aforementioned score. Per usual, the Titans pass-catchers suffered because Marcus Mariota only threw the ball 23 times. They're running the sixth-fewest plays per game this season (60.6). DL DaQuan Jones has been placed on IR after he suffered a biceps injury Sunday. He had been playing well, racking up 3.5 sacks over the past two games. On the season, he posted the 12th-best run-stop rate among interior defenders. His absence will be an upgrade for Adrian Peterson in Week 14 if the running back is able to return from a neck injury.

C.J. Fiedoworicz could be done for the season after he suffered another concussion Sunday. The last one forced him to the IR and it’s his third since the preseason. With Braxton Miller also forced from the game with a concussion, Bruce Ellington dealing with a hamstring issue, and Will Fuller still sidelined, TE Stephen Anderson saw 12 targets and turned them into five catches for 79 yards and a score. The Texans are running out of people to throw the ball to; depending on how the injury situation shakes out, Anderson could be in line for another heavy workload against the 49ers this weekend. With all of their injury troubles at safety, San Francisco has struggled defending the position recently, allowing the fifth-most PPR points to TEs over the past four weeks. Of course, DeAndre Hopkins will continue to pick up a massive workload no matter what – he saw 14 targets last game – and the 49ers are 27th in WR1 DVOA.

Ravens CB Jimmy Smith tore his Achilles’ tendon on Sunday. He’d been dealing with a sore Achilles for most of the season, often missing practices to rest it. He’ll now miss the rest of the year, which is a big blow to the Ravens secondary. Per PFF, he was allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per route (0.15) heading into Week 13. Rookie CB Marlon Humphrey will join Brandon Carr in the starting line up in place of Smith. He’s seen as many targets as Smith (40) in a little over half the snaps and he’s held receivers to fewer receptions (20 to 23) and yards (282 to 292). Similar to Smith, he hasn’t been charged with a touchdown and he’s picked off two passes (Smith has three). We’ll find out what he’s made of next weekend when he’s set to face Antonio Brown most of the game.

Dolphins CB Cordrea Tankersley suffered shoulder and ankle injuries Sunday but he was able to return the game. The team said they’ll go easy on his this week and the Sun Sentinel believes his status is uncertain. The Dolphins are set to face Tom Brady and the Patriots this weekend, so if they have to dig to into their bench, it would help New England’s passing game. Considering the Dolphins have allowed the second-most fantasy points to QBs over the past four weeks and rank 31st in pass DVOA, it’s already a tremendous spot for the Pats.

Rams LB Alec Ogletree injured his elbow but he believes he’ll be ready to play the Eagles this weekend. He’s one of the best pass-rushing linebackers in the game; he’s recorded the fifth-best pass rushing productivity rate among linebackers while recording the third-most pressures (17, per PFF). He would be very useful this weekend considering the Eagles offensive line is sixth in pass-blocking efficiency. They allow a high-percentage of pressures to be converted into sacks though. They’ve been charged with the tenth-most sacks (18) and rank 17th in adjusted sack rate (per FO).

Bears DL Mitch Unrein left Week 13 with a knee injury. He’s posted the ninth-best run-stop rate this season among interior defenders, so his absence next week would be a boost for Joe Mixon. The rookie runner impressed last week against a tough Browns run defense, picking up 114 yards and a TD on the ground. Although he’s last among qualifiers in PFF’s elusive rating (22), he was seventh in Week 12 (59.4). He also added three catches for 51 yards. On the season, his yards per route run would be fifth-among RBs if he qualified (1.83). The Bears are 14th in receiving RB DVOA but have held the position to the fifth-fewest receiving yards this season (34.3/g). Chicago also lost LB Pernell McPhee, PFF’s 49th-ranked edge defender in run defense, and LG Kyle Long to shoulder injuries. Chicago’s backup guards have performed poorly this season, so if Long misses time it’s a downgrade for their pass-protection and ground game. The Bengals defensive line is 18th is adjusted sack rate and 30th in adjusted line yards.

Chiefs DL Allen Bailey injured his knee Sunday, forcing him from the game. He hasn’t had a strong year and he’s earned PFF’s 105th interior defender grade. C Mitch Morse was carted off with a foot injury. He’s been battling foot problems all year and he’s the 29th-ranked center by PFF grading among 36 qualifiers.

Falcons LG Andy Levitre is dealing with a triceps injury. He’s PFF’s 16th-ranked guard this year and he’s allowed the eighth-fewest pressures at his position (12). With the Saints and the third-ranked defense in adjusted sack rate headed to town, Levitre’s presence could really help quarterback Matt Ryan.

Giants RT Chad Wheeler, Justin Pugh’s backup, suffered a concussion Sunday. Bobby Hart, PFF’s 68th tackle among 80 qualifiers, filled in for him. It’s possible Pugh will be able to return this weekend. As a unit, the Giants are 15th in adjusted sack rate and they’ll be taking on a Colts defense that’s 29th in the metric.

Gaines' absence should help Michael Thomas as he will now primarily match up with the weaker Shareece Wright. While Thomas hasn't had any "big" games this season, he's provided a nice floor most weeks with 5-8 catches in all but one game and 65-89 yards in six of eight. With Ted Ginn busy with Tre'Davious White, PFF's ninth cover corner, Thomas could have his breakout. Wright has allowed 1.63 yards per cover snap which would be the fourth-most if he qualified and his cover snaps per reception rate would be the third-worst (7.8, per PFF).

Clay (knee) will try to return from a three-game absence when Buffalo hosts New Orleans this weekend. The Saints currently have the league's most-improved pass defense from a season ago and that's extended to tight ends. In addition to ranking fourth in TE DVOA (per FO), they've allowed the third-fewest PPR points to the position. Considering the added injury risk, Clay, who remains the team's leading receiver despite being sidelined, may be a tough sell in fantasy this week. On the bright side, the Bills are at home and he could benefit from quarterback Tyrod Taylor's home splits as he normally does. Since 2016, Clay hasn't caught a touchdown on the road (10 games) but he's averaged 0.6 at the Ralph (10 games). Jones is considered day-to-day after tweaking his knee Thursday night. It's a bad start to the week as he was a DNP on Monday as well. With Kelvin Benjamin in the fold, Jones is expected to switch to the Z role while his new teammate takes over the X. That will allow him a better release as he'll often be lined up off the line of scrimmage, providing some extra yards between him and cornerbacks, and could take some of the defense's attention off him. The change should make a difference right away as Saints CB Marshon Lattimore, PFF's top-graded corner, will likely follow Benjamin around this weekend. Lattimore frustrated Mike Evans in Week 9; the Bucs top WR finished with just one catch for 13 yards and earned a suspension for fighting the CB. That'll leave Jones, who's coming off his best game of the season (6/53/1), with Ken Crawley, the 44th-ranked CB in yards per cover snap (1.14, per PFF). He's limited receivers to a 48% catch rate though and Jones has had some serious efficiency problems so far. Gaines (hamstring) is expected to make his return from a two-game absence this week. His presence would make things more difficult for Michael Thomas and Tedd Ginn as he represents a big upgrade over Shareece Wright.

Jameis Winston reinjured his throwing shoulder when he took a hit in the second quarter Sunday. Ryan Fitzpatrick entered and finished the game with eight completions for 68 yards and a touchdown. Winston's injury has been lingering for a few games and he almost got pulled by coach Dirk Koetter last week. It's possible the team decides to give him some time to rehab, which seems like the right move, but with six losses already, they're entering desperation mode. If he ends up playing, he'll take on the Jets, whose defense has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to QBs this season. Even in the favorable matchup, he and his pass-catchers will carry some risk due to the injury concerns surrounding Winston's throwing arm. If Fitzpatrick gets the start, it won't help the skill players but he'll have a revenge narrative going for him. DE William Gholston suffered an odd-looking neck injury Sunday. He was declared "neurologically sound" but the team offered no further updates beyond that. With DE Noah Spence already out, the Bucs could be very thin on the edge this weekend. LT Donovan Smith was forced from the game as well due to a knee injury. The Bucs offensive line has posted the sixth-best pass-blocking efficiency this season, his absence would be a slight downgrade but he's PFF's 51st tackle in pass protection.

Dez Bryant hurt his ankle and left Sunday's game in the fourth. All reports, including one from Dez himself, indicate this injury isn't serious and he'll suit up in Week 10. Teammate Terrance Williams tweaked his knee towards the end of the contest. There isn't much more to go on at this point, we'll have to see if he's able to practice during the week. The Cowboys visit the Falcons on Sunday. Bryant doesn't line up on CB Desmond Trufant's side often which should leave him with Robert Alford, PFF's 75th-ranked cover corner, most of the afternoon. Alford is coming off a solid game in which he limited Panthers receivers to a 3/26/0 line after being targeted eight times. Despite picking up 11 looks against the Chiefs, Bryant finished with six catches for 73 scoreless yards. Williams was much better, hauling in all of his season-high nine passes for 141 yards and no scores. He'll battle Trufant, who's ninth in yards per cover snap (0.71) but has allowed the fifth-most touchdowns (4). The Cowboys lost LT Tryon Smith during the game, the 13th-ranked tackle in pass protection. He was replaced by Chaz Greene, who's 48th in the area and would present an upgrade for the Falcons pass rush on Sunday. Even so, Atlanta was just 26th in adjusted sack rate heading into Week 9 (per FO) and only came away with one sack against Carolina's 22nd-ranked offensive line in pass blocking efficiency.

Eddie Lacy left Sunday's game with a groin injury after picking up six carries for 20 yards. As expected, he got the start and was leading the backfield on early downs. Thomas Rawls manned that role following Lacy's exit and posted a season-high 39 yards on 4.3 yards per carry and added two receptions for 31 yards. It'll be worth keeping an eye on this situation as Seattle has a short week ahead of their Thursday night game against the Cardinals. Earlier today, Pete Carroll said he isn't sure how serious the injury is. If Lacy is out, it could leave Rawls with a ton of snaps. It's a tough matchup for backs though; Arizona ranks seventh in yards per carry (3.7) and they're holding RBs to the 11th-fewest PPR points this season. On Sunday, they limited Carlos Hyde to 41 rushing yards on 12 carries but allowed him to haul in nine catches for 84. C.J. Prosise is expected to play Thursday and take over the passing-down role, so Rawls won't receive many opportunities to exploit any weaknesses in coverage.

Zay Jones is considered day-to-day after tweaking his knee Thursday night. He won't practice Monday but he has a chance to suit up this weekend against the Saints. With Kelvin Benjamin in the fold, Jones is expected to switch the Z role while his new teammate takes over the X. That will allow him a better release as he'll often be lined up off the line of scrimmage, providing some extra yards between him and cornerbacks, and could take some of the defense's attention off him. The change should make a difference right away as Saints CB Marshon Lattimore, PFF's top-graded corner, will likely follow Benjamin around this weekend. Lattimore shut down Mike Evans yesterday and the Bucs top WR finished with just one catch for 13 yards. That'll leave Jones, who's coming off his best game of the season (6/53/1), with Ken Crawley, the 44th-ranked CB in yards per cover snap (1.14, per PFF). He's limited receivers to a 48% catch rate though and Jones has had some serious efficiency problems so far. Charles Clay and CB E.J. Gaines are both considered day-to-day and won't practice Monday. If Gaines misses more time, it would make things easier for Michael Thomas and Ted Ginn on the outside.

Ryan Griffin is in the concussion protocol and may not be able to clear it this week as it's his second of the year. TE C.J. Fiedorowicz is expected to be activated from the IR and play this weekend, so even if Griffin is cleared, he won't have much fantasy appeal. It'll be a difficult matchup for Fiedo; in addition to having Tom Savage under center, he'll have to battle a Rams defense that ranked fourth in TE DVOA heading into Week 9. They successfully shut down Evan Engram for most of the game Sunday, limiting him to just four catches on ten targets, although the rookie nabbed a garbage time score to save his fantasy day. Through nine weeks, the Rams are allowing the tenth-fewest PPR points per game to TEs. CB Jonathan Joseph also left Sunday's game early with a leg injury, although details weren't immediately clear. He's the best cornerback on a poor pass defense; his absence would make the Rams offense even more appealing this Sunday.

49ers S Jaquiski Tartt fractured his arm, ending his season. It's the second safety the 49ers have lost in as many weeks, leaving them thin in the secondary. Tartt was having a terrific season, earning PFF's 11th-best safety grade. Rookie Adrian Colbert will start in his place going forward, he would be 63rd in coverage if he had enough snaps to qualify. That sets up a welcoming spot for Evan Engram this weekend. On the other side of the ball, Trent Taylor is believed to have cracked ribs and may miss some time. Kendrick Bourne ended up playing a season-high 40 snaps and picked up his first two receptions of the season (39 yards) on six targets. Aldrick Robinson, who entered the starting lineup for the injured Pierre Garcon, ended up running 55% of his routes out of the slot with Taylor down. Depending on how Janoris Jenkins' disciplinary suspension shakes out, Robinson could end up with a great matchup with Giants CB Ross Cockrell, who gave up a 5/7/75/1 line out of the slot against the Rams yesterday and would have the most yards per cover snap when lined up inside on the season (2.44) if he had enough snaps to qualify. If Jenkins returns, Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie would likely slip back into the slot; he's allowed a catch on 10-of-12 targets in that position for 119 yards and a touchdown while his yards per cover snap (1.06) and cover snaps per reception (11.2) are in the middle of the pack.

Saints DB Kenny Vaccaro was held out of the second half of Week 9's game for precautionary reasons after he tweaked his groin. Vaccaro has moved from safety to slot corner this season. Since Week 4 (his second game as a full-time slot CB), Vaccaro is eighth in yards per cover snap when lined up inside (0.83) and seventh in cover snaps per reception (12.8). That sets up a challenging matchup for Cole Beasley this weekend if the corner is able to suit up.

Jaguars DE Dante Fowler, who's 18th in the league with 5.5 sacks despite not starting, exited Sunday's contest with an elbow injury. If he's unable to play this weekend, it would be a slight downgrade for their pass-rush against the Chargers. On the offensive side of things, LT Cam Robinson left after re-aggravating an ankle injury. He's PFF's 67th tackle among 74 qualifiers.

Chiefs DL Allen Bailey is reportedly dealing with an MCL sprain and could miss some time. He's an important element of their run defense and currently has the 20th-best run-stop rate. The Chiefs are already struggling to defend opposing ground games, allowing the third-most ypc (4.8) and second-most rushing touchdowns (9); Bailey's absence would make them even weaker. He'll have a Week 10 bye to get healthy ahead of their Week 11 game against the Giants. Orleans Darkwa seems to have taken over the backfield, leading the group with 18 touches on Sunday but he still only played 50% of the snaps.

Dolphins RT Ja'Wuan James left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring issue. He would present a huge loss for Miami's pass protection if he can't play this weekend. James is PFF's fourth-ranked tackle in pass blocking and he's only given up 11 pressures all season, the seventh-fewest.

Bengals RT Jake Fisher was taken to the hospital with an undisclosed illness after leaving Sunday's game. He's earned PFF's 58th-best tackle grade but it's unlikely Cincinatti will improve by going to their bench. Fortunately, they don't have a strong opponent in the Titans this weekend, whose defensive line ranked 30th in adjusted sack rate and 19th in adjusted line yards heading into Week 9.

Giants LB Keenan Robinson suffered a quad injury. The Giants are already very banged up on defense with fellow LBs B.J. Goodson and Jonathan Cassillas sidelined along with DEs Olivier Vernon and Kerry Wynn. On top of that, CB Janoris Jenkins was suspended last game. He's expected back for Week 10 but that hasn't been made official yet. They're currently 1.5-point underdogs against the 49ers in Week 10 following their blowout loss against the Rams this past weekend. Even the winless 49ers may be able to produce some offense against the Giants defense.

Poyer (knee) and CB E.J. Gaines (hamstring) were both inactive Sunday. It looks like Poyer, PFF's third-ranked cover safety, will play Thursday night against the Jets which could hinder Robby Anderson's ability to make big plays. The Bills may be without Gaines though. That will likely keep Shareece Wright on the outside. He allowed the seventh-most yards this past weekend (69) and if he had enough snaps to qualify, he would have the fourth-worst yards per cover snap (1.81 per PFF) and third-worst cover snaps per reception (7.0) this season. He'll primarily battle Jermaine Kearse while Robby Anderson only runs 26% of his routes on the side Wright would be on. Anderson is coming off the best game of his season with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown. He's going to see a lot of Tre'Davious White, who's limited receivers to a 47% catch rate and earned the seventh-best cover grade from PFF. Anderson travels to the slot for 33% of his routes where he'll see Leonard Johnson, who's posted the third-worst cover snaps per reception rate (8.0) when inside. It's possible McCown picks on Wright by sending more targets towards Kearse but he hasn't passed his way more than five times over the past four weeks. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins could pick up a larger workload as well and the Bills have struggled to defend tight ends, ranking 19th in DVOA while allowing the ninth-most PPR points to the position. ASJ has seen five targets in back-to-back weeks but he hit 11 and eight in the two weeks prior and has scored three touchdowns over those four games. Jeremy Kerley is expected to be suspended which opens up a little over three targets per game for the other pass-catchers. Bills LG Richie Incognito will play. The 11th-ranked pass-blocking guard (per PFF) is a big reason why the Bills offensive line is sixth in pass blocking efficiency. They should be able to handle the Jets pass rush which currently ranks 27th in adjusted sack rate (per FO). Clay's absence will leave Nick O'Leary in the TE1 role. After seeing six targets when he came in for the injured Clay against the Bengals, he's been quiet with 2.5 targets per game. The Jets are allowing the eighth-most PPR points to tight ends though and the Bills top-targeted pass-catcher, LeSean McCoy tends to struggle on the road. On top of averaging 36.2 fewer rushing yards per game (63.2 away, 99.4 home) and 1.1 fewer rushing touchdowns since 2016 (0.2 away, 1.3 home), which could encourage the Bills to pass more, he averages 4.3 targets on the road compared to 5.2 at home. This could open up some opportunities for O'Leary Thursday night, making him a potential GPP option at his affordable $3.1k price tag.

Poyer (knee) and CB E.J. Gaines (hamstring) were both inactive Sunday. It looks like Poyer, PFF's third-ranked cover safety, will play Thursday night against the Jets which could hinder Robby Anderson's ability to make big plays. The Bills may be without Gaines though, who's now missed two days of practice. If he can't go, it would likely keep Shareece Wright on the outside. He allowed the seventh-most yards this past weekend (69) and if he had enough snaps to qualify, he would have the fourth-worst yards per cover snap (1.81 per PFF) and third-worst cover snaps per receptions (7.0) this season. He'll primarily battle Jermaine Kearse while Robby Anderson only runs 26% of his routes on the side Wright would be on. Anderson is coming off the best game of his season with 104 receiving yards and a touchdown. He's going to see a lot of Tre'Davious White, who's limited receivers to a 47% catch rate and earned the seventh-best cover grade from PFF. Anderson travels to the slot for 33% of his routes where he'll see Leonard Johnson, who's posted the third-worst cover snaps per reception rate (8.0) when inside. Given Poyer's presence and a tough matchup with White, Anderson may find more success running short and medium routes out of the slot. It's possible McCown picks on Wright by sending more targets towards Kearse but he hasn't passed his way more than five times over the past four weeks. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins could pick up a larger workload as well and the Bills have struggled to defend tight ends, ranking 19th in DVOA while allowing the ninth-most PPR points to the position. ASJ has seen five targets in back-to-back weeks but he hit 11 and eight in the two weeks prior and has scored three touchdowns over those four games. Jeremy Kerley is expected to be suspended which opens up a little over three targets per game for the other pass-catchers.