Buffalo Bills 2013 Fantasy Football Preview

Jun 11, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller (28) during mini-camp at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy Stud — C.J. Spiller, RB

After looking like he might not develop into anything but a change of pace back after his first two seasons in Buffalo, C.J. Spiller emerged as a top fantasy football running back last season.

Spiller had 207 carries on the year, and wound up with 1,244 yards and six touchdowns to go along with 43 catches for 459 yards and two more scores.

In 2013, Spiller should see an increased workload and could be a top 8-10 fantasy back this year. He’s being targeted as a RB1 in most of the mocks I’ve seen so far, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be an absolute stud this season.

The Bills are breaking in new quarterbacks, and right now no one is sure whether they will be using Kevin Kolb or first round pick E.J. Manuel. No matter which QB the Bills use, Spiller will be utilized heavily.

Last season, he had five games with over 100 yards rushing, and we could see that increase significantly in 2013. Spiller has incredible breakaway speed, and is so dangerous with the ball in his hands. He has huge fantasy potential this season.

Fantasy Risk — Stevie Johnson, WR

Stevie Johnson has had three straight years with over 1,000 yards receiving, actually in pretty quiet fashion. He doesn’t get a ton of yardage like a lot of #1 receivers in the NFL, but he puts up decent numbers on a weekly basis.

The reason he is a risk to me is because the Bills’ QB situation is so unsettled. Despite Ryan Fitzpatrick’s inability to take the Bills to the next level, he was pretty good at slinging the ball around and putting up numbers.

Johnson is a solid option for you at the WR2 position, or maybe a FLEX spot. I wouldn’t put faith in him as a WR1, but he certainly can give you a solid option at those two spots.

Fantasy Breakout Candidate — Robert Woods, WR

The former USC product is one of the most pro-ready prospects I scouted this year for the draft. He’s not the biggest or the fastest, but he has a ton of talent and could emerge this season for the Bills as their #2 WR.

Woods is a fantastic route runner with reliable hands and good quickness. He also has a nose for the end zone and has great body control and positioning.

I really liked this pickup for the Bills, and I think Woods will pay dividends immediately.

Fantasy Rookie to Watch — E.J. Manuel, QB

Obviously the first round pick out of FSU will have the attention of the rest of the league if he winds up winning the job this offseason. The Bills aren’t going to hand anything to him, so you might not even see Manuel on the field this year.

However, with Kevin Kolb’s inability to stay healthy and frankly his inability to potentially win the job outright, I’m really intrigued by what Manuel can do. He is a phenomenal athlete who is so dangerous outside the pocket, but he’s still raw.

If Manuel gets into the starting lineup, expect his share of struggles but also don’t be surprised if he shows a big time playmaking ability.