After voicing frustration with his role in 2019, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs posted a cryptic message on social media during the opening hours of free agency, and he eventually was indeed dealt to the Buffalo Bills for draft picks.
Compensation update: Bills are trading a 1st-round pick, a 5th-round pick, a 6th-round pick and a 2021 4th-round pick for Vikings WR Stefon Diggs and a 2020 7th-round pick, source tells ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2020
We will investigate the prospects of Minnesota’s fantasy football receivers in a future article. Today’s focus is on Diggs’ role with the Bills. Buffalo clearly has shown dedication to improve the talent around quarterback Josh Allen dating back to last offseason. WRs John Brown and Cole Beasley were free-agent additions to the Bills a year ago, and both played well throughout the year. Brown turns 30 this year, and Beasley’s game is rather one-dimensional. While serviceable, neither player has that coveted x-factor.
Entering 2019, Diggs was more of a glorified possession guy than anything, although he displayed the ability to shake free as the New Orleans Saints can attest. Last season, however, the Maryland product landed only 63 balls in 15 games but went for 17.9 yards per grab. His game in Minnesota has proven to be inconsistently productive, and most of his body of work points to him profiling as a WR2 in need of a standout opposite Diggs. Buffalo doesn’t have that going for them, so he’s going to be tasked with stepping up his game.
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The Bills have a talented running back in Devin Singletary, and the offensive line is sound. Young tight end Dawson Knox displayed potential as a rookie and has plenty of upside. The defense is among the best in the business, and the run-first system suggests Diggs doesn’t have sheer target volume on his side. Unlike 2018’s heavily utilized season (102-1,021-9), Diggs showed that doesn’t matter to sustain success. He posted career-best yardage in ’19 under a run-oriented offensive command from head coach Mike Zimmer.
Fantasy football takeaway
Diggs, 26, is prone to spurts of elite play and then disappearing. He has done it several times with Minnesota in multiple offenses. In Buffalo, he won’t have a roof over his head in the winter months, but he’s used to cold climates in general. The outlook is somewhere in the No. 2 PPR receiver territory as a ceiling and a consistently playable flex in any format.
Some fantasy footballers are bound to overvalue Diggs. While he does have a reasonable degree of potential to exceed expectations, Diggs comes with nearly as much of a chance to disappoint.