Bills Fantasy Football Targets: Will James Cook Replicate his Big Season? Khalil Shakir or Keon Coleman as Top Wideout?

Let's discuss the fantasy football outlook for the Buffalo Bills.

We have looked at the Steelers, Packers, Titans, Panthers, Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Commanders, Texans, Cardinals, Bengals, Lions, Dolphins, 49ers, Chargers, Eagles, Ravens and Seahawks so far. We will cover other teams in the days and weeks to come, so keep checking back.

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Josh Allen Fantasy Outlook

Allen will power the Bills' offense, and be one of the top fantasy players in the league again.

He was the team's top fantasy performer, and he finished third overall. He was second at the position, only behind Lamar Jackson. Allen is QB2 and going around pick 24, which is just after Jackson.

Across 17 games last season (which was really 16 games because he barely played in week 17), Allen threw for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed for 531 yards and 12 more scores.

The dual-threat QB is a star fantasy player as a result of his throwing and running ability. Buffalo hasn't added a ton of talent around him, but that just means Allen will have to do more, which is good for his fantasy outlook.

Taking a quarterback that early is always a risk, but Allen should finish near that ADP and rank if he's healthy all season. There's not much room to outproduce those marks, so that's the only reason he's not a slam-dunk pick there.

If you are confident in getting a running back, wide receiver and tight end later on, then by all means add Allen and not worry about the QB spot the rest of the draft.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

James Cook will lead the backfield again after a big 2024 season. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson are the top backup options.

Cook is RB14 and is going around pick 31 on average. He was RB8 overall last season, so it looks like there's room to outperform his ADP. Not so fast…

In 16 games, Cook had 1,267 total yards, which is a great total. However, it was 18 total touchdowns that powered his fantasy value and production.

It seems unlikely that Cook would score that many times again in 2025, so that's why his ADP is down. There's a chance he finishes in the top 10 again, but it seems more likely that he'd regress closer to where his ADP is.

I still like him around his ADP, just because I think there's room for him to slide up several spots by the end of the season. Getting him as your second running back makes that a position of strength - I'd be wary with him as my top back.

Davis is RB52 and is going around pick 149 on average. Johnson is RB85 and sitting near pick 301.

Davis did some nice things in his rookie season, going for 631 yards and six touchdowns overall. He had 442 rushing yards and three scores, while adding 189 receiving yards and three more scores.

He should carve out a decent role again in his second NFL season, and maybe even have some flex-level upside here and there. He's a late-round standard option in redraft leagues, but I prefer him in deeper leagues - Cook is going to be the workhorse in this backfield, and Allen will handle a good amount of carries too, leaving little for Davis or Johnson.

Davis is definitely a deep-league pick I like making. Not only do you have the top backup to a workhorse, but Davis could do enough even as the backup to be a flex starter several times this season.

Johnson went for 497 yards and four scores over 17 games last season. He had 213 rushing yards and a score, while adding 284 receiving yards and three scores as a pass catcher.

There's some legit fantasy value in Johnson, even as the team's No. 3 back. He's a decent PPR guy.

He's unlikely to start in many leagues, unless they are really deep. It'd need to be a really favorable matchup, and be after Johnson has carved out a decent and consistent role before I'd like the idea of starting him.

Cook is going to power this backfield, but Davis and Johnson could surprise in their own ways here and there.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Keon Coleman, Khalil Shakir and Joshua Palmer are the projected starting wideouts in Buffalo. Tyrell Shavers, Curtis Samuel and Elijah Moore are some of the depth options. 

Shakir and Coleman are the first two off draft boards. Shakir is WR45 and going near pick 97, while Coleman is WR50 and sitting at pick 119. 

Shakir had his best season in 2024, and has improved in his first three NFL seasons. Over 15 games last season, Shakir had 825 yards and four scores. He caught 76 of his 100 targets.

He started the season pretty well and faded down the stretch. There were just two times where he got double-digit targets. 

I see Shakir more as a flex option than a weekly starter, but at his ADP, that's right where he sits. I think there's enough upside there to take Shakir near his ADP. I'm not banking on a breakout season, but with no clear No. 1 guy, it makes Shakir a solid pick.

Coleman had a so-so rookie season over 13 games. The 33rd overall pick from 2024 went for 565 yards and four touchdowns overall.

He had a couple big games, but wasn't very consistent and was pretty underwhelming overall for the Bills. There's higher hopes for him going into his second year, and he still has as good a chance as he did last year to become the team's top wideout.

That makes him a good pick near his ADP. I'd be more inclined to take Coleman than Shakir, just because he's going a couple rounds later. The risk isn't as high, and the upside is pretty similar to Shakir, if it's not higher.

Palmer is WR72 and is going around pick 220. Moore is WR103 and is going around pick 332.

Palmer was with the Chargers the past four seasons. He hasn't reached 775 total yards in a season. Palmer scored four times as a rookie, then lost a touchdown in each season since. He had 584 yards and one score over 15 games last season.

He gets a fresh start in Buffalo and could carve out a pretty big role given the lack of proven pass catchers on the team. What might end up happening is that the three projected starters all have so-so years, and none of them end up standing out.

Palmer is just a deep-league option to start the season, but he could turn into a waiver wire pickup/streaming option in standard leagues. The same could be said for Moore, but his ADP is far lower as he's not a projected starter.

Moore had 539 yards and a score over 17 games with Cleveland last season. His best season was a 592-yard and six-score year with the Jets as a rookie.

There's a chance Moore carves out a role on this offense, but he might need an injury ahead of him to get consistent results and into standard fantasy leagues.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are a solid 1-2 tight end duo. Jackson Hawes is a rookie who could factor in more with an injury to one of the top-two guys.

Kincaid is TE15 and is going around pick 131 on average. Knox is TE41 and going around pick 327.

Kincaid didn't take a step forward in his second season, and actually regressed - he wouldn't have likely topped his rookie year marks even if he had played in all 17 games. Kincaid finished with 448 yards and two scores over 13 contests.

Many are still hoping for a Kincaid breakout season, and on this offense, it is a real possibility this season yet. His ADP makes him a low-risk pick, so I like the idea of gambling on him later in a standard league setup.

He should be a secondary option at tight end, but could become a starting option there, or as your flex if he finally takes off this season.

Knox hasn't disappeared despite Kincaid being brought in a couple years ago. He had 311 yards and a score over 16 games played last season.

Knox has been a decent fantasy asset in the past, but he won't be even a deep-league asset unless Kincaid isn't around. You can add Knox in some deeper leagues if Kincaid gets injured, but otherwise Knox likely won't contribute enough this season for much fantasy relevance.