Offseason Moves and Draft Needs: AFC East

Apr 07, 2019

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For my first article at 4for4, I am recapping the fast and furious action that has transpired around the NFL since the 2018 season ended. For the most part, NFL teams now have retreated to their war rooms to sort out their draft boards. That gives us a perfect opportunity to go division by division in this eight-part series to analyze how all the action has impacted fantasy football, especially dynasty leagues.

More Divisions: AFC North | AFC South | AFC West | NFC East | NFC North

Buffalo Bills

What Changed

Clearly, the Bills offseason priority was to make Josh Allen’s life as easy as possible going into his second season. Buffalo greatly reinforced their offensive line with the signings of Mitch Morse, Spencer Long, Ty Nsekhe, John Feliciano and LaAdrian Weddle. The money spent on this line was quite substantial, but only Morse should be considered an obviously above average starter. Still, that unit desperately needed the help, as did Allen’s weaponry. Buffalo added John Brown, Cole Beasley and Tyler Kroft while parting ways with Charles Clay and Chris Ivory. The Bills even added Frank Gore.

The Impact

Allen is already built to rack up fantasy points and his stock takes a nice jump with these additions. He should have more time in the pocket and much more help from his pass catchers. The rest of the group here isn’t quite as alluring, especially with Zay Jones and Robert Foster still in the mix, but Brown remains an excellent best-ball option and could become much more than that in his new home. Brown was very successful in Baltimore before Lamar Jackson took over and the air went out of the Ravens passing game. There were better landing spots for Brown in free agency, but you don’t have to squint too hard to see him becoming Allen’s top weapon in 2019. Brown is the guy to own amongst the Bills wide receivers, but this passing game might be much more “By Committee” than fantasy owners would prefer. All that benefits Allen though without question.

What To Expect

The Bills need some pieces on defense, but they should still look to help Allen’s supporting cast via the draft. The young quarterback’s stock might continue to rise, especially if Buffalo uses their first round pick on a tight end or wide receiver, which is possible. Buffalo is also now a prime landing spot for a rookie running back that could learn from the veterans in the building while setting up nicely to take over the lead role before long. The addition of Gore is more about leadership and building a culture than for future on-field production. If the Bills use a draft pick between rounds two and four on a running back, be prepared to make that rookie a strong target player for fantasy.