2014 Review

In 2014, the Bills did not have the most ideal quarterback situation. Their starter, EJ Manuel was benched after five games for lack of production. He was surely not drafted by anyone anyway after an uneventful 2013-rookie campaign. Manuel was replaced by Kyle Orton who has since retired. Neither of these brought much relevance to fantasy football in 2014.

The Bills relied heavily on their veteran lead running back Fred Jackson who played in 14 games and finished the 2014 season ranked 22nd among his class. Jackson accomplished a total of 1,026 yards between rushing and receiving and scored three touchdowns. He was more valuable in PPR formats due to the 66 passes he caught.

Former running back C.J. Spiller trailed far behind Jackson ranking 72nd in fantasy points after enduring a season-ending injury that caused him to miss seven games. Backup running backs Anthony Dixon and Bryce Brown were hardly worth owning towards the end of the season when they filled in for Jackson and Spiller.

Rookie wideout Sammy Watkins made his debut and did not quite play up to the standards for which he was drafted. He ranked 25th overall in fantasy points tallying 982 yards and six touchdowns. He caught only slightly over half of his intended passes. Watkins’ struggles had much to do with the lack of a quality signal-caller Buffalo. Watkins’ 65 receptions ranked him just below Jackson’s 66 catches.

The Bills’ former tight end Scott Chandler, who totaled 487 yards and three touchdowns, was barely worth owning.

Veteran Additions

The Buffalo Bills were extremely active this offseason and added some name-brand veterans to the team. Easily, the most exciting addition to the squad is running back LeSean McCoy. McCoy struggled a bit in 2014 with the Philadelphia Eagles where he slipped in ranking to No. 12 after producing a total of 1,474 yards but only five total touchdowns.

Look for McCoy’s production to pick up a great deal in 2015. With the quarterback situation in Buffalo still disarray, the team will rely heavily on McCoy to the tune of 30-plus carries per game. Draft him with confidence as an RB1.

New to the Bills also is embattled wide receiver Percy Harvin. Harvin has not been able to find his groove since his breakout 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. Often injured and just missing the mark, Harvin will look to improve on the lowly two total touchdowns he has managed to score since playing in Minnesota. Hopefully, Harvin can provide some type of fantasy relevance to those who take their chance with him in 2015. Draft him with caution.

The team also signed a new tight end to the mix, Charles Clay. When he played for the Miami Dolphins, Clay totaled 58 receptions, 605 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If Clay was signed to the Bills with the intent to take advantage of his blocking skills, his numbers will drop. There are better choices out there for fantasy tight ends other than Clay.

Another veteran addition to the Bills is quarterback Matt Cassel. We do not even know at this point in time who the starting quarterback for the Bills will be, or if multiple quarterbacks will be used next year. It’s best to avoid Cassel altogether to avoid adding a possible fantasy disaster to your team.

NFL Draft

None.

Potential Breakout Star

Other than the obvious McCoy breaking out of his 2014 funk, it is really hard to name another player who might surprise us this season. McCoy is bound to at least double his touchdown production this season making him the brightest fantasy options on the Bills’ roster.

Potential Disappointment

Jackson will surely take a backseat behind McCoy this year. His days of being the team’s lead rusher have unfortunately ended. Those who draft Jackson thinking he will still earn his fair share of the carries will be disappointed. Behind McCoy, the running back pool is deep.

All Bills’ quarterbacks must be mentioned here too. With how poorly Manuel, Cassel and Tyrod Taylor reportedly performed in their offseason practices, not one of this toxic trio is even worth considering as a fantasy option this year.