Tag: devin singletary

Bills vs. Titans: 6 things to watch for during Week 2’s game

#Bills vs. #Titans: 6 things to watch for during Week 2’s game:

The Buffalo Bills continue their regular season journey. The Bills host the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 2.

Once the battle arrives, there will be a few particular things to keep in mind.

Here are six things to watch for during Monday’s Bills-Titans matchup:

4 best bets to make in Rams-Bills season opener

Here are 4 bets to make in Thursday’s season opener between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams.

The first game of the 2022 NFL season is set to take center stage on Thursday night between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams. Both teams are considered to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the upcoming season and a win on Thursday could put each team on the path to reaching their ultimate goal of playing in the big game.

While it’s fun to simply just watch the game, wagering on certain things to happen can add a little more excitement to football. With the talent that both these teams possess, there shouldn’t be a shortage of offensive plays on Thursday night.

Ahead of the season opener between the Bills and the Rams, here are four of the best bets to make.

All odds are courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook 

Bills’ Ken Dorsey: We saw the ‘old’ Zack Moss vs. Colts

#Bills’ Ken Dorsey: We saw the ‘old’ Zack Moss vs. #Colts:

In his first season with the Buffalo Bills after being selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Utah, he found himself a contributor in late-game situations thanks to the emergence of Josh Allen’s passing game.

Often running out the clock in the later quarters behind a strong lead on the scoreboard, Moss was consistent in his role and kept the offensive drives moving.

In his second season, however, he did not see the same consistency.

Moss struggled throughout the year, in part due to a lingering ankle injury from the 2020 postseason and the surgery that followed.

With fellow RBs Devin Singletary, Duke Johnson, James Cook, and Tawain Jones in the mix at his position group, the 24-year-old returns to action following a dedicated offseason looking to re-establish himself in a role with the offense.

In Saturday’s preseason contest on Saturday, he began to do just that against the Colts, going for 37 yards on three carries including a 27-yard run.

“I think you kind of saw a little bit of the old Zack in terms of, one, the physicality,” Bills OC Ken Dorsey said while speaking to the media this week. “Like the first play of the game, he’s hitting that thing downhill, lowering his shoulder, getting tough yards (five) on a physical run. And then he comes back later in the game and he cuts one back and bounces out there, makes a guy miss, and extends a run that maybe he might not be able to do last year. It’s exciting to see kind of the health factor coming back.”

For the Bills running back, it’s a chance to get a fresh start and take a step forward after the injury and surgery impacted his 2021 season.
“I didn’t get cleared for camp until the day before camp started last year, so it’s something I’ve never had before, an ankle injury like that,” Moss said to the media following the game. “So it was different, it was hard to manage. Our trainer did a good job of having me at least feeling ready to go each and every week, but you know I feel way better and I was able to get this thing a lot stronger and feel a lot more confident in it in the offseason.”

The improvement in his health has shown thus far in his first appearance back on the field. And his play also impressed his head coach as well.

“He’s just in good shape, he’s focused – his focus is where it needs to be, it appears,” Sean McDermott said during his postgame press session. “I was impressed by his production and the small amount of carries, of course, but what he did when he got the ball in his hands was impressive, both in the run and the pass game which is nice to see. So, I think he’s off to a good start and again, I just think it goes back to the way he worked in the offseason.”

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Fantasy football: Where to draft Buffalo Bills RB Devin Singletary

Analyzing Buffalo Bills RB Devin Singletary’s 2022 fantasy football ADP and where you should target him in your drafts.

Last season it appeared as though the Buffalo Bills seemed ready to clear the decks of both of their running back tandem in Devin Singletary and Zack Moss because neither took over the featured role for an extended period. However, down the stretch last season, Singletary had the best streak of his career, scoring 9 touchdowns in Buffalo’s final 6 games before falling in the playoffs.

Below, we look at Devin Singletary’s 2022 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

The Bills still didn’t seem content with Singletary – as he enters the final year of his rookie contract – and they selected James Cook out of Georgia in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft. If Singletary is to have a long career in Buffalo, he will need to prove it this season.

Devin Singletary’s ADP: 81.14

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Singletary has an ADP that puts him in the low 20s of fantasy running backs in the RB3 category and an 8th- or 9th-round fantasy selection depending on the number of teams in the league.

He is clumped in a group of tightly packed ADP backs like Miles Sanders (Philadelphia Eagles) at 82.25 and Damien Harris (New England Patriots) at 82.96. The most glaring difference between Singletary and those other 2 tailbacks is that Singletary plays for a pass-first team, while the Eagles and Patriots depend much more on their ground game to succeed.

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Devin Singletary’s 2021 stats

Games: 17

Carries | rushing yards: 188 | 870

Rushing touchdowns: 7

Receptions | receiving yards: 40 | 228

Receiving touchdowns: 1

Where should you draft Singletary?

To answer the question posed above, the answer may be “don’t draft him unless he’s too big a bargain.” I would take either Sanders or Harris before I draft Singletary.

Although the Bills back averaged 4.6 yards a carry last season, Singletary has never been a workhorse (2021 was his most productive season and he only averaged 11 carries a game) and it was only because Moss struggled that he got the chance to be the featured back late in the season. Singletary is going to be in a timeshare once again, but this time with the rookie Cook – who has a much better ADP value at 101.49.

Singletary isn’t respected enough to take Cook as a handcuff. Your best bet is to take someone like Harris or Sanders as an RB3 and Cook as an RB4 because of his upside as a receiver and the potential to get more touches as the season goes along, which will likely leave Singletary on the fantasy bench more often as the season rolls on.

While I always give respect to players entering the final year of their rookie deals because of the magnitude that season will have on his future, the bottom line is Buffalo QB Josh Allen and the passing game are the stars of this team and Bills running backs have been proved replaceable in recent years.

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Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs

2022 Fantasy Sleepers – Running Backs

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot. No color means the pick is a reasonable value at that spot.

See also:
Sleepers and Value Picks: Quarterbacks
Sleepers and Value Picks: Running Backs
Sleepers and Value Picks: Wide Receivers
Sleepers and Value Picks: Tight Ends

Average Draft order – Value picks

ADP Tm Running Back
1 IND Jonathan Taylor Was No. 1 last year, has better schedule this year. Same system designed around him.
2 CAR Christian McCaffrey When he plays, he consistently a top fantasy play. When he plays, he’s a dual-threat and a monster weekly starter. When he plays… When he plays… feel lucky?
3 TEN Derrick Henry King Henry was mortal last year. After two seasons of historic usage, the foot gave out last October. He’s back and they’ll be significantly lightening his load to keep him fresh… who am I kidding? The only question on most plays is which side of the line he’ll be crashing through.
4 LAC Austin Ekeler He will miss one or two games. But he’ll always challenge for most receptions by a RB. Draft Spiller and sleep better.
5 PIT Najee Harris 381 touches as a rookie. New QB(s), same mediocre O-line and worse schedule but hey, may end up with another 381 touches.
6 MIN Dalvin Cook Great when healthy but always misses three or four games. New offense intends to throw more, run less. Still a safe pick but likely to take a small step back from previous seasons.
7 DET D’Andre Swift Productive when he isn’t missing three or four games per year. Great O-line and great schedule points at a career-high year if he stays on the field.
8 CIN Joe Mixon Blew up as the No. 4 RB last year. Dangerous passing offense means Mixon gets less focus. Rock-solid Top-10 with upside.
9 CLE Nick Chubb This  is about where he ends up every year. Top rusher but only around one   reception per game.
10 GB Aaron Jones Loss  of Davante Adams may mean Jones could top his career-high 52 catches of last   year, but GB has a terrible rushing schedule and AJ Dillon gets more involved. This is a little high, but his risk is balanced with minor upside   as a receiver.
11 NO Alvin Kamara This is a steal if his legal situation gets pushed out to 2023 and he plays all 17 games. He’s always a lock for Top-10 and offense remains the same from last   year.
12 DEN Javonte Williams No.17 as a rookie last year, gets a better QB in Russell Wilson. He’d be a   Top-10 lock if Melvin Gordon did not re-sign. One of the most talented young   backs.
13 NYG Saquon Barkley Third time a charm or that dog just won’t hunt anymore? This assumes that he’ll be back to form but miss a few games. Bad O-line a little better but schedule is even worse.
14 TB Leonard Fournette Oddity is that Fournette alternates great seasons with down years. Signed a big contract and is reliable for the Bucs, but 2021 was No. 6, 2020 was No. 34,  2019 was No. 7, 2018 was No. 38. Needs to break that trend.
15 DAL Ezekiel Elliott Down 2021 with a torn PCL but still his fifth-straight Top-10 season. Some believe   Tony Pollard is better, but not the DAL coaching staff. O-line still an advantage and this assumes he has the worst year of his career. Because of  voidable contract years, this is actually a contract season for him so plenty   to play for in 2022.
16 CHI David Montgomery Great 2020 was sandwiched by two years around No. 20. New offense hints more use of   Khalil Herbert, so Montgomery remains solid but less upside and runs behind arguably the worst O-line in the NFL.
17 ARI James Conner First year in ARI was best of his career. He was No. 5 last year, so this seems a   hard drop after scoring 18 TDs in 2021. Will get banged up for a game or two, but this is a great value pick for a guy that faced the No. 32 rushing   schedule strength and upgrades to only average.
18 BAL J.K. Dobbins Blew an ACL a year ago and missed last season. Was No. 28 as a rookie and still   plays in a committee backfield. Better schedule this year but O-line a little worse. Plus BAL told Lamar Jackson he can run wild again.
19 WAS Antonio Gibson Has never been worse than No. 14 in his two seasons and WAS has a nice upgrade in running strength of schedule. But Commanders leaning to more of a committee   this year with a healthy J.D. McKissic and short-yardage rookie Brian   Robinson. This is a safe spot. Maybe less upside now.
20 LAR Cam Akers Finished rookie season on a high note, but then tore Achilles. Somehow returned for playoffs but looked bad. More risk here than this spot should have. HC Sean   McVay even referred to Darrell Henderson as big factor in the backfield. Also drops from No. 3 down to No. 24 rushing strength of schedule.
21 SF Elijah Mitchell Everything they expected – from Trey Sermon. Mitchell was one of the best surprises of 2021. Was wildly productive with five 100-yard rushing games. Also missed six   games and suffered five injuries (shoulder, rib, finger, concussion, knee)   all in one year. Just very risky on an offense that changes the backfield   constantly. Raheem Mostert was a similar star in 2019.
22 LVR Josh Jacobs Always Top-20 and was No. 8 in 2020. But all new coaches bring in an RBBC history   and drafted Zamir White to help. Kenyan Drake returns from an ankle injury and worse yet, Raiders fall from No. 20 to No. 32 rushing schedule.
23 JAC Travis Etienne Love that upside. Etienne was lost for 2021 with a Lis Franc injury but in his own words, he picked a good year to take off. The 1.25 pick of 2021 is healthy   and wowing in camp. Dual Threat. Has about as much upside as any other RB.   Let him shine in a preseason game and this shoots much higher.
24 KC Clyde Edwards-Helaire No arguing that the Chiefs first-round pick of 2019 was a disappointment. And this rank is about where he landed as a rookie. He’s suffered ankle, hip, MCL and shoulder injuries over just two   years. But he’s slated to do more as a receiver with Tyreek Hill gone. There   is still upside here, but one more year of injury and under-performance will   be too much. Worth a shot at this spot.

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP Tm Running Back
25 NE Damien Harris This seems like a steal since he scored 15 TDs last year, but OC Josh McDaniels is gone and Rhamondre Stevenson keeps getting hyped. Harris a solid pick but lacks upside.
26 GB A.J. Dillon Dillon was the No. 22 RB last year but that was filling in for Aaron Jones twice while going against the No. 2 best rushing schedule. This year it falls to No. 25. Not a bad pick, just a bit high.
27 NYJ Breece Hall Everyone loves the first RB drafted. The rookie Hall lands on one of least productive   offenses of 2021 but the NYJ schedule and O-line are much improved from last year. Prototypical workhorse back that can catch the ball.  Plenty of upside if passing game also improves.
28 PHI Miles Sanders Sanders has declined in each season and missed four games in each of the last two years. Dogged with knee, hamstring, ankle and hand injuries. Philly wants to   pass more with A.J. Brown on the team and it looks more like an RBBC involving Kenneth Gainwell as well.
29 SEA Rashaad Penny He was so great in four games at the end of 2021 – versus the worst four   defenses. Otherwise, his entire career has been the occasional rushing   attempt between injuries. Seahawks drafted Kenneth Walker as the second RB   this year, so even they don’t think Penny’s late-season burst was a new   normal.
30 CLE Kareem Hunt He gets banged up, but his moderate fantasy value skyrockets if Nick Chubb gets   hurt.
31 DAL Tony Pollard Nice spot and productive when given the chance and holds at least this much value   even with Ezekiel Elliott healthy. Expectation is that he sees more receptions since DAL receivers are banged up to start the year and Amari   Cooper is gone.
32 BUF Devin Singletary Improved all three years and turned it up nicely to finish 2021. BUF is a pass-first   offense and they added Isaiah Spiller to  their mostly committee approach, but powerful offense, good O-line and the No. 1 rushing schedule strength should see Singletary challenge for RB2   fantasy status.
33 JAC James Robinson Tore his Achilles at the end of last season but may be ready to play early in the season, if not Week 1. But scary injury to return from and Travis Etienne will drain much work. He needs to prove health in training camp or a very   risky pick.
34 MIA Chase Edmonds Okay, so he didn’t take over in Arizona and while he is listed as No. 1 in Miami, he probably won’t be more than a piece of a committee. As a late RB3 you could do worse. Marginal upside but should offer roughly this level.
35 DEN Melvin Gordon New coaches in Denver may not reprise the same committee backfield as last year. Then again, HC Nathaniel Hackett imports the GB scheme that used Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Should be a safe pick for a back that historically has always   been Top-20.
36 SEA Kenneth Walker III The second RB drafted in 2021 is a 4.38/40 speedster out of Michigan State that ran for 1,636 yards and 19 TDs last year. The only one above him on the depth chart is the always-injured Rashaad Penny. Yeah. Love this pick and willing   to wait a few weeks for big things to happen.
36 ATL Cordarrelle Patterson Patterson made the shockingly effective switch to RB last year but then sputtered by   the end of the season. He’s 31 years old and probably even less likely to handle more than 150 carries. Worth it as an RB4 to see if he starts adding   tons of catches again as he did early in 2021.
37 NE Rhamondre Stevenson Saw much more use after Week 10 last year and even logged two 100-yard rushing   efforts. Expectations are that he will see even more action and is slated to   start catching more passes. The NE backfield has long been a source of   frustration and dashed hopes, but Stevenson as an RB4 is just too good to pass   up. Just his pace last year would have been around No. 24 had he played in   all games.
38 MIN Alexander Mattison Back up for Dalvin Cook. Three years and never better than this ranking.
39 NYJ Michael Carter Jets drafted Breece Hall and now Carter is just the No. 2 for the Jets – when has   that ever paid off? Good handcuff for the Hall owner but likely not enough production to merit a fantasy start unless Hall was out.
40 BUF James Cook Bills drafted Cook as the third RB taken this year with the plan to make him into a   pass-catching back to complement Devin Singletary as the main rusher. Anyone catching passes in the Bills’ offense needs to be owned. Reasonable handcuff   for the Singletary owner but should carry stand-alone fantasy value.
41 KC Ronald Jones II The info on Jones is conflicting. He’s said to be challenging Clyde   Edwards-Helaire to be a starter, and also speculated to not make the 53-man cut. Doesn’t help that KC has given first-team reps to undrafted Isaiah Pacheco who will also play special teams unlike Jones. As an RB4, he carries   some upside and if he flops, it won’t kill you.
42 LAR Darrell Henderson HC Sean McVay referred to his backfield as being both Cam Akers and Darrell   Henderson. Not Akers and his backup. The Rams like to pass anyway and Henderson has been around the No. 30 back for the last two years. No game   changer, but worth owning.
43 IND Nyheim Hines Was deemphasized last year but ranked No. 17 in 2020 when he caught 63 passes and   scored seven TDs. HC Frank Reich said he wants the 2020 version of Hines back   this year and that makes this a steal.
44 WAS J.D. McKissic Like Nyheim Hines, McKissic is not going to save your fantasy team but should see a return to an every-week value play in PPR leagues. He caught 80 passes in   2020 but missed six games last year. Nice value.
45 MIA Raheem Mostert In a best-ball league as a final pick maybe. But chances that Mostert is going to offer reliable fantasy points is too hard to buy into.
46 HOU Dameon Pierce Fourth-round pick could challenge Marlon Mack as the top back but a committee is expected, the rushing schedule is No. 30 and the O-line remains one of the worst. Upside here around the start of RB5, but not a lot.
47 HOU Marlon Mack Starting RB in Houston but virtually no upside and more likely to fall from this level.
48 SEA Chris Carson Retired. Will wash out of ADP.
49 NO Mark Ingram No. 2 in NO should be gold if Alvin Kamara is suspended, but that is no longer a  lock (at least for this year) and Ingram is 32 years old and a nonfactor since 2019.
50 LAC Isaiah Spiller Great handcuff for the Austin Ekeler owner but hard to reach since he tends to be   taken before the Ekeler owner can get there. Solid RB5 that could be huge if Ekeler missed much time.
51 CAR Chuba Hubbard Even with Christian McCaffrey flaming out last year, Hubbard only No. 36. Just a handcuff with marginal value even if McCaffrey misses time.
52 ATL Tyler Allgeier Good-sized back (5-11, 220) could beat Damien Williams out to be the No. 2 in Atlanta, and Cordarrelle Patterson faded last year. Bad schedule and bad O-line is a major challenge, but Allgeier could end up as the No. 1 RB in Atlanta this year.
53 DET Jamaal Williams D’Andre Swift tends to miss several games per year and Williams ranked No. 43 last season. DET has a great O-line and schedule, so Williams has minor value   regardless and becomes a starting consideration when Swift gets hurt.
54 PHI Kenneth Gainwell Ended as the No. 40 RB as a rookie last year and led the Eagles backfield since Miles Sanders was injured. Has minor stand-alone value and upside in this improving offense.
55 TB Rachaad White A popular sleeper-type this summer, White takes over for Ronald Jones as the   No. 2 back in TB. Worth owning in that productive offense but likely needs Leonard Fournette to be injured to offer any reliable fantasy starts.
56 ARI Darrel Williams Comes over from the Chiefs where he was the No. 21 back last year. Replaces Chase Edmonds as the No. 2 back in Arizona who was No. 33 in 2021. Should offer much more value than this spot and Conner usually misses a couple of games.
57 MIA Sony Michel Certainly Michel has value after a surprising year with the Rams, but the Miami backfield is a mess that’s hard to buy into.
58 BAL Gus Edwards Torn ACL last September and Ravens O-line not as good. Staying away from players returning from blown knees and playing in a committee backfield.
59 SF Tyrion Davis-Price Why not? SF has a tendency to make stars out of surprising players. Elijah Mitchell was the newest star last year, before that, Jeff Wilson, before   that, Raheem Mostert, before that, Matt Breida… Davis-Price was the  fifth RB drafted this year, so he’s not just a bottom of the roster filler.
60 NYG Matt Breida Handcuff for Saquon Barkley. No real value to anyone else and even if Barkley crashes yet again, Giants have a bad schedule, bad O-line and are installing a new offense.

 Best of the rest

Brian Robinson Jr. (WAS) – Firmly No. 3 behind Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic, the ex-Alabama bruiser could see short-yardage work and steps in if either starter is injured.

Hassan Haskins (TEN) – The Titans offense is meant to run and Derrick Henry proved he was not immortal last year with the foot injury. Haskins already impressed in camp and will be a hot commodity if Henry misses any time.

Khalil Herbert (CHI) – New offense in Chicago changes backfield roles and Herbert looks likely to receive more work. A needed handcuff for the David Montgomery owner, but may have stand-alone fantasy value anyway. 

Bills 2022 training camp positional battles: Running back

Position battle to watch at #Bills camp: How it pans out for the RBs (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills running back room is an interesting place right now. Each of the rushers has the potential to contribute meaningfully in different ways.

There are only so many snaps to go around and with four talented players, new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will have some difficult choices to make moving forward.

Devin Singletary enters 2022 as the lead back. He has been solid in three seasons in Buffalo, averaging 165 rushing attempts and 777.3 rushing yards.

Singletary does a little bit of everything well, consistently working forward. He isn’t the fastest player or shiftiest, but Singletary has worked to move the chains.

Singletary will be pushed by free agent signing Duke Johnson and second-round pick James Cook. Both players are solid receiving backs.

Cook has the speed to put additional pressure on defenses, which could give him an edge. Even speed, speed by itself will not get a player on the field, as seen with Buffalo’s usage of  Matt Breida.

Rounding out the running backs is Zack Moss. Moss, a third-round pick at the 2020 NFL draft, was brought in to be the power back for the Bills. However, Moss has seen his touches dwindle as the season progresses.

It will be a big training camp for Moss, as he pushes for a role in Buffalo’s offense.

The Bills also have Taiwan Jones, who is listed as a running back but will play exclusively on special teams. The Bills have brought in a veteran in each of the past few seasons (TJ Yeldon, Matt Breida) who has not seen a great deal of playing time.

In addition, Singletary is entering the final year of his contract.

The challenge for Dorsey will be figuring out how to maximize the production of the running back room while managing the touches to keep players content.

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Bills take top spot in ESPN’s future power rankings

#Bills take top spot in ESPN’s future power rankings:

Mutliple ESPN contributors analyzed which NFL teams have the best outlook moving forward.

Based on several factors pertaining to the team, including full roster, quarterback, draft history, coaching, and front office decisions, the contributors project which teams will have the most success over the course of the next three seasons.

The Buffalo Bills earned the top spot on this ranking.

The ESPN analysts gave the Bills glowing marks in several categories. Buffalo earned the top spot in the league with their roster (minus quarterback) and front office. It makes sense, as good management leads to a strong roster and good decisions.

ESPN NFL insider Field Yates gave the rationale why Buffalo landed at No. 1 on this list:

Brandon Beane has executed a masterclass in roster building since becoming the Bills’ general manager in 2017. The foundation of this roster has been built via the draft, but we’ve also seen calculated swings in both free agency and trades — most prominently to land receiver Stefon Diggs. The roster is loaded, head coach Sean McDermott is outstanding, and the Bills are poised for a major step forward this year.

The Bills were ranked second in the quarterback category, falling behind only the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes.

While Buffalo earned the top score, the analysts did see an areaof concern for the team. Studio analyst Louis Riddick highlighted some worry regarding the team’s pass rush. Free agent signing Von Miller provides short-term help, but the long-term needs a bit more of an improvement for the defense as a whole. Riddick highlighted:

For Buffalo to get over the hump, it needs its defense — both the front and the coverage — to deliver when it matters the most. And it remains to be seen if it can.

NFL insider Jeremy Fowler, though, sees improvement with Buffalo’s backfield. The signing of Duke Johnson along with second-round draft pick James Cook can help with the passing game out of the backfield.

Meanwhile, Devin Singletary provides a good first option for the running backs.

Now, the Bills need to take all of this potential and turn it into a deep playoff run. The teams that follow the Bills in this ranking (Chiefs, Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams) all have had continued success for a long period of time.

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