2026 Team Previews: Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills 2026 Preview
All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.
** = target in drafts at this ADP
Drafted Everywhere
James Cook, RB (ADP: 9, RB5): Cook has been a big time guy for a while, but coming off a 16-touchdown rampage in 2025 there were questions about whether or not Cook was being overdrafted based on a TD spike. The Bills paid the man, and then gave him over 300 carries and he responded with 1,621 rushing yards, 1,912 total yards and 14 total touchdowns. There are no more questions about whether Cook is a real deal RB1, what his role is, and whether or not the TD numbers are sustainable. Cook is a no doubt first round pick, with the only concern being injury risk with such a heavy workload on a smaller back. But that risk lies with any RB, and even if the Bills do try to reduce that load a little bit Cook will still have all the important backfield touches. It’s hard to call anyone inside the Top 10 a “value,” but he’s for sure a great pick.
Josh Allen, QB (ADP: 31, QB1): Much like Cook, there’s not much to say about Allen that is going to be enlightening. He’s the QB1 for obvious reasons. In addition to being explosive as a passer and capable of big numbers through the air, he’s the most reliable bet for rushing production in the NFL at the position. Lamar Jackson typically runs for more yards, and Jalen Hurts has often scored more rushing touchdowns, but no QB delivers both as consistently as Allen. Now, it’s fair to note his passing has dropped off some in the past two seasons and that does lower his floor significantly in any single game.
How much has his passing dropped off? Well he’s come in below 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons despite playing 17 games in each, and he hasn’t thrown 30 touchdown passes in the last three years. Still, he’s delivering 500+ rushing yards and double-digit rushing touchdowns every year now, so it really doesn’t matter. I typically would not be drafting QBs this early, but if you’re going to pull the trigger on that then Allen’s the guy to get.
D.J. Moore, WR (ADP: 50, WR22): Moore is easily the most interesting Bill for fantasy this season, because in theory he provides Allen a true top target that he can rely on. If Moore is who he’s previously been, he’ll not only pile up numbers as the top dog for one of football’s great QBs, but he could even elevate Allen’s upside as well. But Moore was disastrous last season in Chicago, putting up the fewest receptions of his career (50), the fewest yards (682) and drawing the second-fewest targets of his career (85). Moore played in all 17 games too, making this production that much worse. He flashed at times, and showed glimpses of prime D.J., but it was a disturbing plummet for him after some warning signs of decline in 2024. So was the problem a bad connection with Caleb Williams and the Chicago staff? Or is Moore falling off as he approaches age 30?
Reception Perception says there was a clear drop-off in quality of play. It’s not quite that Williams was just not looking Moore’s way, he wasn’t as good. His zone success fell to 76.7%, a 35th percentile mark that was markedly down from 2024 when he was still below average. His success vs. man was up from 2024, but still not great, and his ability to beat press seemed slightly down too. This is looking very, very much like a formerly great player who is in decline and entering the merely good phase of his career…or worse. Now, there’s still stuff he did very well. Moore was at 80% success on slants, and 61.5% success on nines. He also was awesome on curls and comebacks, and while he didn’t run a ton of those he can be sent on more of them to play pitch and catch with Allen.
It’ll be tempting to see Moore walk into an offense with a ridiculous QB and a gaping hole at WR1 and assume his ceiling is sky high. The truth is that Moore is still a pretty good player, and he’ll benefit from locked in target share in Buffalo, but that WR1/high-end WR2 upside has likely disappeared for good. Moore seems more like a good to decent WR2/high-end WR3 which means he’s probably being overdrafted slightly.
Interesting Players
Dalton Kincaid, TE (ADP: 98, TE10): Kincaid’s time of being projected as the Bills’ target leader in preseason has come to a thankful end. This is a very good pass-catching TE whom many were trying to force as the leader of a pass-catching corps. Kincaid in 2025 played in 12 games, and was only targeted 49 times. He made the most of them, catching 39 of them and scoring five touchdowns in that limited work. Kincaid makes a ton of sense as a red zone weapon for this team and the improvements in the WR group should ease the focus on him when the Bills are in close. A leap into the upper crust of the position is reliant on a massive touchdown spike, which could happen, but I wouldn’t bank on. Fortunately, this ADP isn’t banking on it.
Khalil Shakir, WR (ADP: 149, WR54): Shakir was a player I believed could break out and maybe become an elite WR based on the wide open path to targets on this team last season. But the Bills simply do not view Shakir as being able to thrive outside his slot-heavy role, and he produced a season directly in line with the 2024 campaign that came before it. This is likely just who Shakir is going to be regardless of what players are surrounding him, and that’s a waiver wire fill-in type who can serve as an emergency FLEX when you simply need someone who won’t throw up a goose egg.
Deep Cuts
Ray Davis, RB (ADP: 213, RB66): Davis hasn’t gotten many opportunities as the Bills’ backup RB, largely because Cook has been both durable and amazing. But don’t sleep on Davis as a talent. I don’t believe he’s a must-have backup because Ty Johnson has a role in this backfield, but in the event of a Cook absence, Davis has a lot of upside to pop.
Keon Coleman, WR (ADP: 295, WR104): Coleman had all the chances in the world to take a stranglehold of the WR1 in Buffalo gig and he flopped hard. His numbers – 38 receptions, 404 yards, four touchdowns – stunk and he landed in the doghouse multiple times. Part of the issue is the Bills trying to force him to be an X receiver when his skills don’t match the job description, but ultimately he’s a very athletic player without a lot of necessary refinement to get open consistently. He’ll see his playing time and have splash plays, but I don’t think I’m interested in drafting him or even jumping in if he has some success early.
Ty Johnson, RB (ADP: 270, RB78): Johnson has been around a long time and has never really been able to get a job to himself. His niche in Buffalo is pass-catching RB, and the Bills do turn to him at times even when Cook is cooking. In each of the last two seasons he’s posted close to 500 total yards and five touchdowns. That’s not draftable, but it is the kind of player you can add when waivers are slim pickings and hope he finds the end zone.
**Skyler Bell, WR (ADP: 327, WR110): Bell’s being treated like a complete afterthought right now, and to me, that’s a mistake. Moore is the clear WR1, and Shakir is entrenched in the slot. Bell does duplicate Shakir’s skillset to a degree, which I’m sure is why he’s buried like this, but his production at UConn cannot be ignored. UConn wasn’t anyone’s idea of a powerhouse college offense, and he still was able to notch 101 receptions, 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns. He excelled at UConn on outs and digs, so he should be a nice weapon for Allen over the middle of the field. He also ran screens for 9.4% of his targets, and he was lethal in that part of the passing game. Bell’s game is reminiscent of a Jordan Addison kind of style, and that has proven to be a fantasy relevant archetype.