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Fantasy football’s winners and losers from the 2020 NFL Draft

A few veteran running backs may be in major trouble.

The 2020 NFL draft shifted the dynamics for fantasy football in the coming season.

It appears a number of teams are resorting to committees at running back, which should make the position just as complicated as ever for consistent production. Gone are the days when we can trust Lions running back Kerryon Johnson and Colts running back Marlon Mack.

Meanwhile, most teams have also made sure they have at least three receivers of starting caliber. That could complicate the value the second and third receiver on a team’s depth chart, because it will be hard to determine which players will boast the best production over a season (and a week). The Cowboys are the best example, with receivers Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and the 2020 17th-overall pick, CeeDee Lamb.

Let’s dive into the winners and losers in fantasy football from the draft.

Winner: Clyde Edwards-Helaire, RB, Chiefs

No rookie landed in a better spot. Andy Reid believes Edwards-Helaire is the second coming of Brian Westbrook — but better. At least, that’s what ESPN analysts said on the draft broadcast. That means we can expect major production and volume from Edwards-Helaire in both the passing and running game. He will sneak into the second round of drafts this year.

Loser: Kerryon Johnson, RB, Lions

His first season in the NFL was an impressive one, even if he only played 10 games. He looked like he could be a feature back in Detroit’s offense as a runner and pass-catcher. But he got hurt again in 2019, and it seems the Lions are intent upon decreasing Johnson’s workload after they drafted former Georgia running back D’Andre Swift at 35th overall, the second running back off the board. No player lost more ground in fantasy than Johnson during the NFL draft.

Winner: Henry Ruggs, WR, Raiders

Ruggs’ situation in Las Vegas is almost as good as Helaire-Edwards’ in Kansas City. Ruggs joins an offense that badly needs talent at receiver alongside veteran Tyrell Williams, who put up WR2 numbers when he was the top option in the passing offense. The Raiders’ incoming class of rookies includes three receivers. Still Ruggs is the top of the whole 2020 class of wideouts, at 12th overall, and he should get major volume in Las Vegas.

Loser: Michael Gallup, WR, Cowboys

Dallas had little intention of drafting a receiver in the first round, but one of the draft’s finest prospects — who just so happened to play receiver — fell to the Cowboys at 17th overall. In an impressive draft class, they landed CeeDee Lamb, which may have pushed Gallup to third on the depth chart after his breakout season (66 catches, 1,107 yards, 6TDs). Maybe Dak Prescott and the Cowboys can support three fantasy-relevant receivers. But the Lamb selection didn’t help Gallup.

Winner: Cam Akers, RB, Rams

Serving as the lead back for the Rams worked out for Todd Gurley. Now that Gurley is in Atlanta, Akers is in line to take over every down at running back in L.A.’s offense. Even if he’s in a timeshare, his production should be impressive and, so long as he’s not a bust, he should be fantasy relevant. It’s always a good thing for an offensive player to land with Sean McVay, who makes the most of talent.

Loser: Darrell Henderson, RB, Rams

Well, OK. So I did the whole: McVay-can-get-the-most-out-of-anyone routine right before I brought up Henderson. He had a very rough rookie season after going in the third round out of the 2019 draft. He seemed like he was in line to be RB1 in the post-Gurley era. Not anymore. Not after the team added Akers, a back with clear three-down potential.

Winner: Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings

With Stefon Diggs leaving, Jefferson is a natural fit in the slot for Minnesota. Jefferson is a pro-ready prospect with NFL speed and production. Maybe he’s not the most talented prospect in this draft class, but he’s likely to have the most production among rookie receivers.

Loser: Devin Singletary, RB, Bills

The arrival of Zack Moss, a power back who could take over some early-down and redzone work in Buffalo, is bad news for Singletary. I still think he’ll get solid work, particularly after his impressive finish to the 2019 season. It’s just a little concerning for Singletary that the Bills were so willing to add talent at the position in the third round.

Loser: Darren Waller, TE, Raiders

As mentioned, Las Vegas added three receivers in the first three rounds of this year’s draft. Maybe Waller didn’t get competition at his position, but he’s probably not going to get as many targets.

Loser: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Broncos

He was the second receiver off the board, but he landed in an offense with quarterback Drew Lock. I’m not exactly a believer in the young signal-caller’s talents. (Neither is For The Win’s Steven Ruiz.) What’s more, Lock will have mouths to feed: Courtland Sutton, Noah Fant, Jeudy and 2020 second-round pick, K.J. Hamler.

Winner: Adam Trautman, TE, Saints

New Orleans treats their tight ends well, though Trautman, a 2020 third-rounder, clearly needs to develop before he’ll contribute — which is common for most tight ends, particularly for one coming from a low level of competition at Dayton. But Trautman could ascend to the top tight ends spot in the Saints’ offense, which is a good spot for a fantasy producer.

Loser: Marlon Mack, RB, Colts

The arrival of Jonathan Taylor, a 2020 second-round pick out of Wisconsin, could quickly spell the end of Mack’s surprisingly impressive run as Indianapolis’ feature back. With almost 2,000 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns over the last two years, Mack seemed like a good bet to be another strong fantasy performer in 2020. But with Williams in the mix, Mack’s standing is in trouble.

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Winners, losers following Bills 2020 NFL Draft

Winners and losers on the Buffalo Bills roster following the 2020 NFL Draft.

As is with every draft, every player on the Buffalo Bills got some new teammates. But depending on who those players are… some incumbents from last season are feeling pretty comfy about things.

While others now have a young guy in their position group, potentially vying for their job.

If the 2020 NFL Draft is the fence right down the middle of things, one side of it has some winners while the other has some losers on Buffalo’s roster.

Here’s our list of winners and losers on the Bills roster following the recent draft:

Losers

Buffalo Bills running back T.J. Yeldon. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

RB TJ Yeldon

Both Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane said prior to the draft that they’d be fine with their backfield being Devin Singletary and TJ Yeldon.

It was their most obvious smokescreen to the rest of the NFL.

Everyone knew the Bills wanted a guy like Zack Moss. Bigger, more like Frank Gore and less like Singletary. Yeldon was not that guy. If Yeldon makes Buffalo’s final roster, he’ll likely be a candidate to be inactive plenty on game day once again like he was last year. There’s little chance he’ll see running back snaps next season unless injury strikes.

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Bills tried to trade up for ‘Beast Mode 2.0’ but got Zack Moss anyway

The Bills wanted Utah running back Zack Moss at the 2020 NFL Draft. So they took him.

The Bills wanted Utah running back Zack Moss at the 2020 NFL Draft, so they took him.

But the actual story was a bit rockier as Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane explained following the second day of the event.

The Bills saw Moss fall to them at the No. 86 overall pick in Round 3. Following the festivities, Beane said at no point did he try to trade up in the second round. But in the third round? He tried to and failed, all because he wanted Moss.

“The second [pick] one was much more stressful to be honest with you,” Beane said. “We had Moss in a pretty good spot up there.”

Turns out it was a blessing in disguise and the Bills got him anyway.

“We were making some calls [to move up in Round 3],” Beane said. “(Moss) is a guy, I felt, fit a need, but we had him a little higher than [on their draft board] where we got him.”

“He was sticking out on the board,” Beane added.

In Moss, the Bills are landing a physical complementary runner to their incumbent in Devin Singeltary, someone Moss said he already knows since they’re both Florida natives. Singletary called to welcome Moss to Buffalo, the rookie said.

That complement is an important role for the Bills, as Frank Gore proved last season. It makes sense that Beane would get antsy.

But Moss didn’t exactly compare his running style to Gore’s. Instead, he did so with another former Bills back, Marshawn Lynch, otherwise known as “Beast Mode.”

“I think a lot of people just see the way I run, the low center of gravity and the base that I run with, things like that,” Moss said. “They like to compare it there. But I’m just trying to come out and be myself. Marshawn is definitely a guy any back wants to be compared to. He’s one of the best to ever do it and a guy I’ve been watching for a very long time.”

In Lynch’s career with the Bills which spanned four years, he rushed for 2,765 yards. That’s a number Moss will hope to beat with the Bills as surpassing tough goals is something he had a knack for. At Utah, Moss set six records and included that is his 4,067 rushing yards which make him the program’s all-time leader. After a 1,416-yard season as a senior last year, Moss was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year.

While he wasn’t the most patient one in the war room, this one might’ve paid off for Beane and the Bills if the do find themselves “Beast Mode 2.0.”

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Bills take JK Dobbins in TD Wire mock ahead of Round 2

In Touchdown Wire’s Day 2 2020 NFL Draft mock, the Buffalo Bills take Ohio State running back JK Dobbins.

With the first round of the NFL’s first ever virtual NFL Draft in the books, the second round is now just hours away. With that comes the Buffalo Bills’ first selection.

As the dust settled, it appears the Bills could still land plenty of talent with their first pick at No. 54 overall. In Touchdown Wire‘s latest mock draft following the first round on Thursday and ahead of Friday’s Day 2 of the 2020 draft, the Bills land a running back with vselection.

The move is JK Dobbins from Ohio State:

54. Buffalo Bills: J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State
The Buffalo Bills have a slasher type already in Devin Singletary, but with the acquisition of J.K. Dobbins from Ohio State, they add the tough, between-the-tackles type of back—a perfect complement to what Singletary provides the Bills’ offense.

In Dobbins, the Bills would land a 5-foot-10, 217 pound rusher that certainly has the vitals which indicate he’ll be a more powerful back than the 5-foot-7 Singletary. Dobbins proved in college that he’ll use that size to run through contact and keep gaining yards.

Another important aspect of Dobbins’ game is when he played well. He often stepped up for the Buckeyes in big games. At the next level, Dobbins will have to add more receiving skill to his game and consistency as a pass protector. As a rookie, Singletary took some strides in those categories for the Bills himself.

The second round is slated for a 7 p.m. start on Friday.

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4 bold moves Bills’ Brandon Beane can make at 2020 NFL Draft

Here are four bold actions that Bills GM Brandon Beane could take at the draft.

The Buffalo Bills most likely made their boldest move of the offseason when the team traded for wide receiver Stefon Diggs. However, that doesn’t mean the team won’t be a little daring on draft night.

The Bills 2020 NFL Draft situation is a bit unsettled. The club has filled various holes on its roster already. While there might be places for an upgrade, there aren’t any glaring problems on the roster to fill. Thus, the paths that the team can take during the draft are numerous.

General manager Brandon Beane has had no problem making moves throughout the draft during his brief time with the Bills. If Beane decides to be a bit audacious on draft night, it could create some added excitement to the event.

With that, here are four bold actions that Beane could take at the draft:

Draft Tee Higgins with pick No. 54

DClemson Tigers wide receiver Tee Higgins. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills reportedly were reportedly not too impressed with Tee Higgins. This apparently led the Bills to look elsewhere to fill their No. 1 receiving hole, ultimately trading for Diggs. Higgins was linked as a popular choice by the Bills by many pundits in their mock drafts when they held a first-round pick.

With Buffalo scheduled to make their first pick at No. 54 in the second round of the draft, would they consider Higgins as a value pick at that spot? The dynamic receiver was dominant in college football and his stock since the Bills have traded their pick, has dropped. A recent CBS Sports mock draft has Buffalo actually selecting him in that spot.

He would be the fourth receiver on the depth chart if Buffalo were to draft him. It would give the team time to develop him behind Diggs, John Brown and Cole Beasley. If his ceiling is as high as some predict, it might be worth taking a risk on Higgins in this year’s draft. He could take over as a starting complement to Diggs in 2022 after Brown’s contract expires. But, much of this depends on Higgins actually making it all the way to Buffalo’s pick.

Tee Higgins can MOVE!

(He’s 6’4”, 216lbs) pic.twitter.com/9KZjxCwJsr

— Scout Kelley (@ScoutKelley) April 19, 2020

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ESPN’s Mel Kiper: Bills can wait to find RB at 2020 NFL Draft

SPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. said it’s a good time for the Bills to not have a first-round pick with that need.

The Bills don’t have any glaring needs on their current roster. With Frank Gore remaining unsigned by any NFL team, Buffalo does have room on their roster for another running back, though.

ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. said it’s a good time for the Bills to not have a first-round pick with that need. Chatting on a conference call this week, Kiper said the Bills can take their time finding a No. 2 complementary back if they plan to do so at the 2020 NFL Draft.

“I think the depth at running back isn’t great but you can still find them,” Kiper said. “(The Bills) found (Devin) Singletary last year. There’s some backs like Anthony McFarland at Maryland is interesting. (Salvon) Ahmed of Washington is interesting. I like J.J. Taylor at Arizona as a late-round guy. Mike Warren of Cincinnati is another guy. If they did not take the running back in the second round, I think they can get one late. I’m intrigued by J.J. Taylor, 5-foot-5, 1-4, 185 pounds. That kid can scoot. He can catch the ball. I was impressed with the tape.”

In Kiper’s latest two-round mock draft he released earlier in the week, he pegs the Bills for a pass rusher with their first selection at No. 54 overall in the second round of the upcoming draft via Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara. Prior to that pick in regards to running backs, Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor at 45 and LSU’s Clyde Edwards-Hellaire are the only two off the board before Buffalo’s pick.

Thus far, the Bills’ current front office guided by head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane is pretty much one-for-one on drafting running backs. Singletary is their lone drafted rusher the duo has selected and after a profitable rookie season, Beane recently said Singletary is the team’s No. 1 back moving forward. Worth noting, the Bills waiting until the third round at the 2019 draft to pick Singletary.

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2020 NFL Draft: Ranking Brandon Beane, Sean McDermott’s draft picks

Here is an updated ranking of the McBeane-era draft picks for the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has been the leader of the on-field product for the Buffalo Bills since January 2017. General manager Brandon Beane has guided the roster decisions since he was hired in May 2017. In three years, the duo has completely rebuilt their roster.

Beane and McDermott have been very successful in building their team through the draft. Together the pair has made 20 draft picks for the organization. While McDermott had a heavy hand in the selections in the 2017 draft, Beane did not take his post until after that draft. Then-general manager Doug Whaley was is viewed lame duck in the position, a placeholder who would be dropped after the conclusion of the draft.

So with that, here’s an updated rankings list of the draft picks made by McDermott and Beane during their time in Buffalo:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud. Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

LB Vosean Joseph

Joseph was a 2019 fifth-round pick from Florida. His actual assessment is incomplete right now, as a shoulder injury landed Joseph on the injured reserve list and ultimately cost him his entire rookie campaign, so it’s hard to really place him above anyone. His slot in last is more of an “incomplete” than worst.. Joseph looks to be a depth linebacker for the Bills this upcoming season and potential special teamer.

WR Austin Proehl

Proehl was drafted in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. His selection seemed to be a favor to Austin’s father, Austin, who played the latter part of his career with the Carolina Panthers. Proehl did not make it out of the preseason with the Bills and was cut at the end of training camp. However, he did latch on with the XFL’s Seattle Dragons, where he caught the league’s first touchdown reception and did flash at that level.

LB Tanner Vallejo

Vallejo spent one season in Buffalo, playing limited snaps on defense. He did, however, see decent time on the special teams unit. Nevertheless, he could not stick into Year 2 with the Bills and was released prior to the start of the 2018 campaign. Vallejo has stuck around to play 39 games in three years, playing games with Buffalo, Cleveland, Arizona, and Washington. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2017 draft.

WR Ray-Ray McCloud

McCloud was a sixth-round pick in the ensuing draft in 2018. The Clemson product has seen the field as a returner and a gadget-type of player. Buffalo waived him prior to the start of the 2019 season and subsequently picked up by the Carolina Panthers in a bit of a Buffalo-Carolina connection reverse. After six games in Carolina, McCloud was waived again and signed to the Bills practice squad.

G Wyatt Teller

Teller started seven games in his rookie season with the Bills. The 2018 fifth-round pick pushed Vlad Ducasse for snaps during the 2018 season, but the team’s free-agent signings during the 2019 free agency period squeezed out Teller from the roster, and the team ultimately traded him to Cleveland, where he started nine games for the Browns last year. He fetched the Bills a future sixth-round pick in that deal for the upcoming draft as well.

Introducing the Somersault Block…👀👀 @Browns

(h/t blessembaker/reddit) pic.twitter.com/kJ6t6llPfw

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 21, 2019

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VOTE: What was the Bills’ best play on offense in 2019?

Poll: What was the Buffalo Bills offense’s best play during the 2019 NFL season?

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”dJTzJb6dKN-701798-7498″]

The Buffalo Bills are hoping their offense takes another step forward in 2020 after adding wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Hopefully there’s plenty of highlight reel plays en route next season, but don’t forget the year that was.

Last season the Bills had an improved year on offense which had tons of big-time plays. Which brings one question to mind, what was the best of the bunch?

We plucked a few plays from the 2019 Bills highlight reel above and placed them in a poll. Check out the video and be sure to vote below:

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WATCH: Bills RB Devin Singletary rookie highlights

Devin Singletary got off to a slow start, but then took over things from veteran Frank Gore as the season wore on.

If the Bills get another third-round steal at the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft like the team did at last year’s selection process as they did in running back Devin Singletary, no one will mind not having a first-round pick.

Singletary got off to a slow start, but then took over things from veteran Frank Gore as the season wore on.

In 12 games played, he averaged 5.1 yards per carry, amassing 775 rushing yards and two rushing scores. He added another two touchdowns in the air.

That production gave Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane confidence to recently say that Singletary is the team’s No. 1 running back heading into next season. Buffalo still might add to the position group, but Singletary left a good mark in his first season.

Speaking of that first season, here’s a rookie highlight reel for Singletary recently released by the team:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkeFEU3Dpsg&w=560&h=315]

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NFL Draft Tinder: Analyzing Jonathan Taylor’s Fit With the Buffalo Bills as the Draft Inches Closer

A lot goes into whether a college football player finds success in the National Football League. Skill, size, speed, technique and experience all play a role in their transition to the new level of football, but an often-overlooked factor is their …

This fit is based on many things. The skill level of the players around them, the culture of the organization, and the coaching/planned role for the player in his rookie year with the team.

Two clear examples of the squad that drafted a player playing a massive role in whether they found success, the examples each showing the opposite ends of the spectrum, are seen in the early careers of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Miami Dolphins quarterback Josh Rosen.

Nobody will deny that Mahomes is by far the better talent and better player. What is overlooked, however, is how different the early career situations affected each quarterback as they transitioned to the NFL.

Mahomes was drafted by the Chiefs–an extremely well-run organization with a great coach and a great roster–and was given a year to sit behind the current quarterback, veteran Alex Smith, in order to learn about what it takes to succeed in the league. He then was well prepared to take over the team in his second year and the rest is history.

Rosen, on the other hand, was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals–an organization without a history of success, with a first year head coach in Steve Wilks and a bad roster–and was thrust into the starting role in week four. The UCLA product struggled mightily throughout his rookie year due in large part to an abysmal offensive line and below average weapons on the outside. Then, that offseason Rosen was traded to the Dolphins, a similarly tough situation for a young quarterback to succeed, and he hasn’t found footing since.

While not nearly the only reason for each players’ early career success or lack thereof, the team that drafted the two and the situation they put the young quarterbacks in had an undoubted effect on the level of success they experienced early in their careers.

So, with all this said, I looked through countless mock drafts and saw where former Badger running back Jonathan Taylor was being projected to land. One of the constant teams I saw was the Buffalo Bills.

So I thought about, if I was Taylor, whether or not I would be attracted to the fit presented by the Bills based on their culture, coach, offensive line and overall track record of success.

Here’s NFL Draft Tinder: Jonathan Taylor edition, volume one.

The Buffalo Bills

Swipe up (super like).

While the Bills aren’t the first organization that comes to mind when you think of the elite organizations in the NFL, Head Coach Sean McDermott has built an impressive culture there over the last few years and has his team in great position to take over the AFC East with Tom Brady now in Tampa Bay.

The team’s run scheme–a cold weather, north-south attack–would fit Taylor’s skill set perfectly and help to counteract the team having the league’s 21st rated offensive line in 2019 according to ProFootballFocus. Furthermore, a key element in someone like Taylor finding NFL success is the presence of another back on the roster, preferably a change-of-pace back, to take pressure off of him and help to manage his workload. The Bills have exactly that in Devin Singletary, a guy who carried the ball 151 times for 775 yards and caught 29 balls for 194 yards in only 12 games last season as a rookie. The fit of the offense is then wrapped up by the Bills’ impressive young quarterback Josh Allen, a guy who is improving each year and isn’t afraid to use his legs to move the ball. In total, adding Taylor to this team would make them a force to be reckoned with on the ground.

So, the current culture of the organization together with trajectory of the team, their talented young quarterback, their coach and the presence of a change-of-pace back in Devin Singletary outweigh the team having a slightly below average offensive line and represent a great situation for Taylor to find himself in.

Stay tuned for Taylor’s fit with the Miami Dolphins tomorrow and more to follow.