Going into last season for the Buffalo Bills, it looked like veteran running back Frank Gore would be the starter and third-round rookie draft pick Devin Singletary would be fighting for touches with journeyman RB T.J. Yeldon and eventual Kansas City Chief, RB LeSean McCoy. That type of crowded backfield would have lowered Singletary’s fantasy value as a rookie, but boy were we all wrong.
As it turned out, Singletary ended the season with 775 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground to go with 194 yards and 2 TDs through the air. He was one of many standouts on a much-improved Bills team. Singletary started out a little slow, as most rookies do, but eventually became an every-week starter in fantasy leagues, thus increasing his value as the season went on.
But that was last year. What changes are on the horizon for Buffalo this time around after going 10-6 and losing to the Houston Texans in the playoffs? Does the team stick with Singletary or do they look elsewhere to try to improve their chances? Let’s take a look at three potential moves the Bills could make that would greatly affect Devin Singletary’s fantasy value for the 2020 season and decide how likely each option is.
Three scenarios that could affect Devin Singletary’s fantasy value
The Bills draft a rookie RB
The Bills currently hold seven picks in this year’s NFL draft, and their first pick isn’t until the second round, at 54 overall. With all the help the team needs on the defensive side of the ball, it’s hard to expect them to draft a running back early enough to challenge Singletary for the role he carved out last year.
That being said, at pick 54 there are some very good options usually available. According to our PFN Mock Draft Simulator, players like Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Cam Akers are regularly available. Even better RB prospects like D’Andre Swift and J.K. Dobbins could make it to them if things go right.
If the Bills do decide to spend up at the draft and use their round two pick on a running back, I would still expect Singletary to be the bell cow for 2020 and beyond. He’s already established that he can handle the load and is more familiar with that offense. The Bills drafting another RB could even improve Singletary’s fantasy value for 2020 and beyond if they get a guy with a different skill-set. All in all, I’m not too worried about this scenario, given how the team has other needs they need to address first.
The Bills re-sign Frank Gore to another year
Earlier in March, Gore let it be known that he wasn’t done with the game of football and that he has no plans to retire. This could open the door to him returning to the Bills since they did well with him last year, and he wouldn’t demand a large contract. The team went 10-6 with Gore as their goal-line back and could see bringing him back as a big win in the locker room as well.
But even if Gore does come back, would that affect Singletary’s fantasy value at all? Odds are that it wouldn’t, or at least not much. In 2019, Singletary finished as the 31st RB in points for the season and 26th in points per game. However, his first 20 carry game didn’t come until Week 8, meaning if the Bills give Singletary the starting job for an entire year it’s very likely that he scores more points in 2020 than he did last year, thereby increasing his value in fantasy leagues. That is even with Gore on the roster.
The Bills sign a free agent RB
In my opinion, the only thing that can derail Singletary’s potential output this year is if the team signs another free agent. Guys like Devonta Freeman, LeSean McCoy, Lamar Miller, and Chris Thompson, among many others, are all looking for new teams this season. If the Bills pass on re-signing Gore and opt for one of these older options, it’s possible that they could move Singletary to the backseat again while they see what they have in their new toy.
If this happened, Singletary’s 2020 value would depend entirely on who the team signs and when. If they signed someone early in the off-season and give them time to get up to speed, it could turn into a 50-50 split with Singletary, which would be bad. But if they wait until closer to the season, when options are limited and time to learn the playbook is short, Singletary should be fine. Time will tell on this one, but again, I doubt it happens given the way the team is moving forward.
Looking at these three scenarios makes it clear that Singletary should be in for a great 2020, potentially even better than his breakout rookie year. If you own him, you’re not moving him unless the deal is too good to be true, but if you’re looking to buy it might best to wait until something happens that causes his value to drop in the eyes of his current owners. Whatever happens, I don’t see Singletary’s fantasy value taking a hit at all, so pounce when the crowd thinks it has to get a discount. Happy hunting out there!
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Andrew Hall is a writer for PFN covering Fantasy Football. You can follow him on Twitter: @AndrewHallFF.