Buffalo

Bills

Knox’s return-to-play date is unknown but the “vet rest” labeling indicates the injury is not serious. McDermott also called WR Chase Claypool (toe) and RB Ty Johnson (hamstring) day-to-day. Both players have been sidelined since at least July 30th. Claypool is fighting to join the Bills’ evolving wide receiver rotation while Johnson attempts to fend off fourth-round rookie RB Ray Davis. Johnson’s injury could prove costly in this regard.

The Bills selected Bishop in the second round of this year’s draft. Bishop is competing for a starting job in camp after the Bills lost safety Jordan Poyer to the Dolphins and opted not to re-up with veteran Micah Hyde. We don’t know the exact details of Bishop’s injury at this time, but an extended absence could delay him seeing the field as a starter early in the season. We’ll see how quickly he progresses in his recovery, but he’s expected to miss at least a week or two with his injury.

Shakir, entering his third NFL season, finally has a chance to function as an every-down player in Josh Allen’s offense, and has made the most of his training camp opportunities. Shakir’s big plays during camp, Buscaglia said, is “a reminder of how important he is to the scope of the Bills offense in 2024.” Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady said last week that Shakir is “as consistent as they come.” So far, it looks like Shakir, Curtis Samuel, and Keon Coleman are the favorites to run in three-receiver sets for Buffalo this season.

Buscaglia said Valdes-Scantling, who signed with Buffalo in May, is not working among the team’s top-five receivers in camp. It could be a message being sent to the veteran, or it could be a sign MVS, 29, is on the roster bubble. Chase Claypool has worked with Josh Allen’s first-team offense more than Valdes-Scantling, according to Buscaglia. MVS, who averaged a meager 3.5 targets per game over 33 games with the Chiefs, would probably need at least a couple injuries to Bills wideouts if he’s to crack the team’s starting lineup in 2024.

Jackson began the 2023 season in Denver but didn’t make it through the end of the season. He was ejected from the team’s Week 2 game against the Commanders due to an illegal hit. Jackson committed the same penalty in Week 7 and was suspended for four games, though it was later reduced to two. Jackson inexplicably returned to the field only to commit the exact same penalty once more. The league gave him the four-game suspension this time around. Seeing him as not worth the trouble, Denver cut Jackson after he served his second suspension. The Texans claimed him off waivers but kept him in a reserve role to close out the year. Jackson will be a depth option for a depleted Buffalo secondary, but his history of violent hits has him on thin ice with the league.

Per Buscaglia, Samuel has “has lined up all over the formation just in the first two days” of Bills camp. That, of course, won’t be surprising to anyone familiar with Samuel’s history — particularly his work with Bills OC Joe Brady in Carolina — but it’s confirmation that Samuel will maintain his Swiss-army appeal in a receiver corps that is remaking itself following the trade of Stefon Diggs. Fantasy managers have learned to never get too high or low when it comes to the 2017 second-rounder, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility Samuel sneaks into the top 36 at wideout this season.

“Khalil Shakir is consistent as they come,” Brady gushed. “The big thing I told him is, I don’t need him to feel like he needs to do anything more. He doesn’t. Just continue being Khalil Shakir.” Although that second sentence might sound disappointing to fantasy managers who have been taking WR5 fliers on the 24-year-old, it’s important to remember that Shakir played over 70 percent of the Bills’ snaps over the final 10 games last season. Now Stefon Diggs is gone and Shakir is the Bills’ most experienced wideout with Josh Allen. Free agent addition Curtis Samuel and second-round rookie Keon Coleman will be jockeying for position in three-receiver sets, but Shakir could end up settling into a top-48 role in fantasy.

Judging from the team’s tight end usage during the first day of training camp, Buscaglia said “those expecting Kincaid to usurp the full-time role from Dawson Knox this year and push the veteran tight end into a backup may have their hopes dashed.” Kincaid’s usage and target share took a dip when Knox was healthy and active in 2023. Kincaid saw an average of five targets per game when Knox was in Buffalo’s lineup; he had 7.7 targets per game when Knox was out with injury. Kincaid’s yards per game spiked by 22 yards per game with Knox out in 2023. Knox’s presence could prevent Kincaid from posting elite numbers this season.

It’s a homecoming for Matakevich, who spent the first four years of his career with the Steelers (2016-2019) after being drafted by them in the seventh round. Matakevich has played in 129 games over his career, contributing primarily on special teams. He’s started just one game on defense and has never totaled more than 23 tackles in a season.

Cephus spent about a month with the Bills before the team opted to part ways with the former fifth-rounder. Cephus is returning from a season-long gambling suspension that sidelined him for all of 2023 and hopes to latch onto a 53-man roster in training camp. He’s caught 37 passes for 568 yards and four touchdowns over three seasons and wouldn’t be anything more than added depth if he were to make the Texans.