The Buffalo Bills pulled off a trade for Nyheim Hines just before the 2022 NFL trade deadline, sending Zack Moss and a day-three draft pick in return. With Hines heading to the Bills and Moss to the Indianapolis Colts, what is the fantasy football impact of this move for the backfields in Buffalo and Indianapolis?
Fantasy Impact of Nyheim Hines and Zack Moss Trade
What a wild day, and just when you thought it was over, the NFL had one more trade for us to digest, as the Colts have traded Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for draft capital and running back Zack Moss.
First of all, congratulations to Hines for getting out of Indianapolis. Despite all the flashes and him being one of the top weapons in the NFL, the Colts never truly capitalized on his skills. That’s not going to be an issue in Buffalo.
MORE: Week 9 PPR Fantasy Football Rankings
They have been dead set all year trying to acquire a pass catcher after missing out on J.D. McKissic, and drafting James Cook. I’d say they have their guy now. The issue for fantasy is that this backfield is a mess, even with Moss no longer being a Bill.
Buffalo’s backfield Remains a Mess for Fantasy
I do expect Devin Singletary to remain the top option out of the backfield. He has looked solid this year, especially over the last two weeks, rushing 31 times for 152 yards while adding 38 on five of seven receiving. But when you have Josh Allen and a plethora of options on this offense, it’s hard ever to see a Bills running back breach the top 20 repeatedly, barring good matchups.
The same likely applies to Hines, who will be brought in to be an offensive weapon. He catches the ball out of the backfield as well as any running back you’ll find. He has over 1,700 yards in his five seasons with a career 1.51 YPRR. You’ll see him all over the field. He’ll be in the backfield alongside Allen on passing downs, split out wide, and even be involved in the return game.
Strictly based on his skill set and the power of this offense, Hines is an RB4 that would move into low-end RB3 status if anything happens to Singletary. Keep in mind that Hines is locked-up until 2025, and Singletary is a free agent after this year. Hines has an inside track for a massive role next year and becomes a very intriguing dynasty move.
This also decimates the value of Cook, which means he likely won’t have any fantasy relevance for the rest of the season, despite having his best game of the year last week.
Trust Jonathan Taylor, But Stay Away From Zack Moss
Ask for the Colts’ side of things, not much changes. Jonathan Taylor is still Jonathan Taylor and will receive over 80% of the opportunities. Unfortunately, Taylor has not looked as good in recent games, but a lot of that comes down to the offensive line play.
What look like gaps he can run through are quickly filling up, forcing Taylor to second-guess where the hole will be, in contrast to last year. Still, he remains a top-five running back for the rest of the season.
He’s also the only running back I would really want to roster out of this backfield. Deon Jackson performed admirably when he filled in as the No. 1 when Taylor was hurt (28.1 PPR), and perhaps he could help step in and fill that receiving role in the backfield.
There isn’t a ton of data on Jackson, but he has caught all 14 of his targets this year for 180 yards, which is a positive sign for someone who came into 2022 with only 13 touches on his career.
MORE: Chase Claypool Trade: Fantasy Impact
As for Moss, he was not a fantasy asset to begin with and certainly won’t be one now with the Colts, whose offensive woes have gotten so bad they just fired their offensive coordinator earlier on Tuesday.
He’s not a talented enough runner to take carries away from Taylor, and he’s also not skilled enough as a receiver to be utilized in the passing game. I am sure you’ll see him in the rotation, but there will not be enough volume or high-leverage opportunities to consider Moss for your fantasy roster.