2025 Buffalo Bills Fantasy Preview

A detailed fantasy football breakdown of all 32 NFL squads

Buffalo Bills Team Preview

2025 Buffalo Bills Fantasy Preview

After ranking 9th in both passing and rushing last season, the 2025 Buffalo Bills return mostly intact. Most of Buffalo’s offseason changes came on the defensive side of the ball. They released Von Miller, traded Kaiir Elam, and added DE Joey Bosa. Additionally, the first three picks in the 2025 NFL Draft bolstered Sean McDermott’s defense. However, extensions for Josh Allen and Khalil Shakir assure that the Bills should remain a potent offense for years to come.

Allen’s numbers dipped a bit in 2024. He had his lowest passing yards (3,731) and touchdown (28) output in five years. However, Allen ran for a dozen scores and finished as a top-3 fantasy quarterback for the fifth consecutive season. He remains an elite option and is one of the safest bets on draft day for fantasy managers willing to secure an elite signal caller early.

RB James Cook posted his second-straight 1,000-yard rushing season and tied for the league lead with 16 rushing scores. His overall production was down from 2023, and he is now seeking a long-term extension as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. Seeing such a huge spike in one-year touchdowns and potentially missing offseason reps due to the contract impasse are concerns. But the Bills did not address running back in the draft, making Cook a strong RB2 with RB1 upside.

Ray Davis chipped in 631 scrimmage yards and six scores in a secondary role. Depending on how the Cook contract situation plays out, Davis looks like a strong late-round value target.

The Bills didn’t add any significant depth at wideout, ignoring the position until the 7th round. Fresh off his extension, Khalil Shakir looks secure as the No. 1 wideout. Shakir had the best season of his career and ranked 12th in the NFL with a 72.1 percent slot rate. But after Shakir, things are less predictable. Speedy Joshua Palmer’s three-year, $29 million deal indicates he is locked into the WR2 role and will act as Allen’s downfield playmaker. Amari Cooper is a free agent, freeing up more potential playing time for Keon Coleman. Curtis Samuel adds depth and could surpass Coleman if the second-year wideout doesn’t become more consistent.

After a strong rookie showing, Dalton Kincaid fell off. He missed four games with a knee injury and wasn’t utilized downfield as much. Dawson Knox also remained involved, averaging a career-high 14.1 yards per reception. Kincaid still posted the 13th-best PFF grade for tight ends with more than 30 targets, so there’s reason to think Kincaid can be a borderline TE1 again if he remains healthy.

Fantasy Grade: B

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QB Allen, Josh, BUF [QB1] 

Josh Allen’s numbers dipped in 2024, yet he still ranked inside the top-3 fantasy signal-callers for the fifth consecutive season and won an NFL MVP. That consistency puts Allen in elite company and is why he’s our top QB in 2025. After surpassing 4,000 passing yards for four straight seasons, Allen slipped to 3,731 with 28 scores last season. However, he supplemented that with elite rushing production, including 12 rushing scores. That dual-threat capability and tremendous durability make Allen one of the safest bets in fantasy. The Bills having a top-5 easiest schedule this year only cements Allen’s elite status.

ADVICE: Elite option in every format worthy of an early selection.

RB Cook, James, BUF [RB1] 

After never topping two rushing touchdowns in a season, James Cook exploded for a league-high (tied) 16 scores in 2024 en route to an overall RB8 finish. Cook topped 1,000 rushing yards for the second consecutive season, ranked 3rd in EPA (+40.1), and was top-12 in broken tackle rate (11.1 percent). Understandably, Cook is looking for some long-term security, but as long as he’s back in the lineup for the season opener, he remains a quality RB2 in a potent Buffalo offense that produced an NFL-best 32 rushing touchdowns last season.
ADVICE: Last season’s TD output looks like an outlier, which could lead to Cook being overdrafted.

RB Davis, Ray, BUF [RB2] 

In 2024, Ray Davis rushed for 442 yards (3.9 YPC) and three touchdowns on 113 carries, adding three receiving TDs (17 receptions, 5.9 PPG, PPR). His Week 18 start (15/64/1, 2/1/1) and Week 6 outburst (20/97, 3/55) show RB2 upside if James Cook (RB9, 5.2 YPC) misses time. At 5-8 and weighing 211 pounds, with a 4.52 40-yard dash, Davis’s 3.81 yards after contact (751 total) highlight his power. Buffalo was top 10 in rushing and led the NFL in rushing scores, so Davis should be on the fantasy radar as a potentially valuable reserve.

ADVICE: Handcuff target who will occasionally post standalone flex numbers.

RB Johnson, Ty, BUF [RB3] 

ADVICE: Buffalo ranked 8th with 28.9 rushes per game. Johnson did see 25 targets last year and averaged over five yards per carry, but he is squarely behind James Cook and Ray Davis in the touch pecking order.

WR Shakir, Khalil, BUF [WR1] 

In his third season, Khalil Shakir topped the Bills’ receivers with 76 receptions, 821 yards, and four touchdowns on 100 targets, ranking 37th in PPR wide receiver scoring (182.5 points). His standout games (nine catches for 107 yards and five catches for 106 yards with a touchdown) showed reliability over explosive plays, surpassing 10 fantasy points in 14 of 18 starts, making him a steady flex option in three-receiver leagues. With seven or fewer targets in 73.7 percent of games, Shakir’s 78.3 percent catch rate highlighted his efficiency. His four-year, $60.2 million extension in February 2025 underscores Buffalo’s confidence in his growth.

ADVICE: Reliable WR3 with 1,000-yard potential.

WR Palmer, Joshua, BUF [WR2] 

In 2024, Joshua Palmer underwhelmed in the Chargers’ run-first attack. Palmer had three standout games (4 catches for 63 yards; 2 for 63 yards, 1 TD; 6 for 78 yards) but saw four or fewer targets in 10 of 15 games. His 15.3 yards per catch (15.0 in 2023) highlights his deep-threat role, unlike his 2022 career highs (72 catches, 769 yards, 10.7 YPC). Injuries (elbow, calf, heel) limited him in two games. Signed to a three-year, $36 million deal with Buffalo in March 2025, Palmer’s a WR3 but competes with Elijah Moore and Curtis Samuel. He’s a late-round flier with modest fantasy upside.

ADVICE: Good Best Ball target who will deliver a handful of WR2 outings.

WR Coleman, Keon, BUF [WR3] 

Keon Coleman’s rookie season showed flashes of potential but was hampered by a wrist injury, missing four games. His 50.9-percent catch rate was underwhelming, but he excelled as a deep threat, averaging 19.2 yards per catch with 12 receptions of 20-plus yards and 4 of 40-plus. He was inconsistent, with nine games of one or fewer catches, but he had standout performances (4 catches for 125 yards; 5 for 70 yards, 1 TD) pre-injury. Coleman shines in contested catches and open space but struggles with press coverage due to his 4.6 speed.

ADVICE: Still some room to grow, but Coleman is a WR5 until he gains consistency.

TE Kincaid, Dalton, BUF [TE1] 

Dalton Kincaid averaged 9.5 fantasy points per game in his strong rookie season and was averaging a solid 8.5 per contest before a Week 10 knee injury cost him three games. When he returned in Week 15, Kincaid couldn’t get open downfield and fell to 5.4 points per game, including the playoffs. Kincaid still ranked 8th with a 20.2 percent target share and had the second-most unrealized air yards among tight ends. Now healthy, Kincaid will benefit from the addition of Joshua Palmer commanding more coverage. He’s a strong candidate to rebound after a disappointing sophomore showing.

ADVICE: High-end TE2 who will out-play his sinking ADP.

TE Knox, Dawson, BUF [TE2] 

Knox has some bestball value but is not a consistent option unless Dalton Kincaid gets hurt.

PK Bass, Tyler, BUF [PK1] 

Finished 9th in scoring last season, despite playing in Orchard Park. Buffalo’s offense should continue humming, so Bass remains a solid fantasy bet.

Def Bills, Buffalo, BUF 

Buffalo rebounded in 2024, ranking 6th in fantasy scoring thanks to forcing 32 turnovers and scoring a pair of touchdowns. We’d like to see more than 39 sacks, which should come easier with DE Joey Bosa.

 


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With over a decade of winning experience, Jody is a well-known fixture in the fantasy football community. He was named Fantasy Pros’ **Most Accurate Ranker** previously and was the site’s Top NFL over/under totals picker with a record 65% accuracy in 2020, while also ranking 5th in the country with a 55% against-the-spread hit rate. Jody has written for many sites over the years including Pro Football Focus, FantasyPros, CBS Sportsline, FantasyData, and is a regular contributor to the Fantasy Index magazine expert’s poll, draft, and auction. Jody’s experience ranking and projecting player performance will help prepare the Fulltime Fam for their big draft days as well as answers they can trust on Sunday for those ever crucial Who Do I Start questions.