Don’t look now, but the Buffalo Bills‘ offense is absolutely humming. Yet, they did it in a different way last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Josh Allen completed only seven passes, and it was the play of James Cook that was the reason why the Bills won.
Cook rushed the ball 25 times for 179 yards for one touchdown, helping the Bills dominate the line of scrimmage against the Cowboys. Will Buffalo look to run the ball again this week against the Los Angeles Chargers?
Or can fantasy football managers trust that Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, and Khalil Shakir will be able to get the job done and have a big week?
Should You Start Stefon Diggs in Fantasy This Week?
Diggs is coming off a quiet game. He had just four catches for 48 yards in the 31-10 win over the Cowboys. But while those aren’t very big numbers, there is some context that you need to look at.
First, it was a weird game where Buffalo absolutely dominated Dallas when it came to running the ball. Overall, the Bills rushed the ball 49 times for 266 yards and completely manhandled the Cowboys at the line of scrimmage.
While Buffalo could possibly look to run the ball on Sunday, they’re going up against a Chargers pass defense that hasn’t been good this year. For much of the season, L.A. was last against the pass and now currently sits 30th (261.4 passing yards allowed).
While Diggs didn’t have the week last week that fantasy managers would have hoped for, don’t let this make you make a bad decision. If he’s on your roster, then he 100% should be in your lineup at this point of the season.
Should You Start Gabe Davis in Fantasy This Week?
While Diggs is a definite yes to be in your starting lineup, Davis isn’t as much of a must-play. Last week against the Cowboys, he had zero catches on one target, and he hasn’t had a catch in his last two games.
On the season, Davis has 39 catches for 595 yards and six touchdowns. In four games this year, he has 27 catches for 384 yards and four touchdowns. He’s the perfect example of a boom-or-bust type of player, but that makes it really tough to trust him in fantasy.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
If there was an opponent that you could expect him to have a big game against, then the Chargers are definitely that type of team. They have numerous breakdowns in their secondary and are absolutely susceptible to the type of big play Davis is capable of.
I would look for better options at the receiver position, but, if you’re going up against the best team in your fantasy league, then Davis could give you a higher ceiling.
Should You Start Khalil Shakir in Fantasy This Week?
Shakir had a big game a month ago against the Jets, finishing with three catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, but that was more of a fluke than the norm. He has only two touchdowns on the year, with the other one being in the season opener.
To keep it simple and to the point, there’s no reason why Shakir should be in your fantasy lineup. Besides the two wide receivers above him, tight end Dalton Kincaid is also going to be more involved in the passing game.
There just isn’t a spot for Shakir to be in your lineup.
MORE: Fantasy WR Start/Sit Week 16
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, our Consensus Rankings say that Diggs is the player to start. His projected 13.7 points include five receptions for 61 receiving yards. That projected stat line narrowly outperforms the consensus projection for Davis (8.0 points) and Shakir (5.6 points).
Diggs is an absolute lock to be in your lineup; that’s a no-brainer. Davis is the home-run approach you could take if you’re going up against a better team, but I would still stay away.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!
