Jahnke: Fantasy football reactions from the Bills’ MNF win over the Patriots

Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) throws the ball into the end zone in celebration after scoring a touchdown against the New England Patriots during the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

The Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots brought a close to the majority of fantasy football redraft and dynasty leagues for the 2020 season.

The Patriots haven’t had many fantasy-relevant players all year, but the Bills have had a few superstars. If you were relying on a Bills player to win, you likely ended up a champion. If you were facing a Bills player, the odds might not have been in your favor.

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As always, this collection of fantasy reactions will include snap counts for skill players on each team, along with notes on players who saw their fantasy stocks rise or fall during the action. 

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

Buffalo Bills New England Patriots
WR WR
Gabriel Davis – 72 snaps Jakobi Meyers – 50 snaps
Stefon Diggs – 56 snaps Damiere Byrd – 50 snaps
Cole Beasley – 35 snaps N'Keal Harry – 30 snaps
Isaiah McKenzie – 32 snaps
Andre Roberts – 11 snaps
TE TE
Dawson Knox – 46 snaps Devin Asiasi – 47 snaps
Lee Smith – 24 snaps Dalton Keene – 3 snaps
Tyler Kroft – 12 snaps
HB HB
Zack Moss – 36 snaps Sony Michel – 19 snaps
Devin Singletary – 35 snaps James White – 16 snaps
Taiwan Jones – 1 snap J.J. Taylor – 16 snaps
Total – 72 snaps Total – 50 snaps

Winner: WR Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills

Diggs has been a success for the Bills all season, but he’s just been on another level recently. He caught nine of the 11 passes thrown his way for 145 yards and three touchdowns tonight. There have been 62 instances of a player recording at least 130 yards in a game this season, but Diggs is the only one to accomplish that in three straight games. Diggs will be one of the highest-drafted wide receivers in redraft leagues come August 2021.

Covid-19 Replacement: WR Isaiah McKenzie, Buffalo Bills

John Brown was removed from injured reserve only to be added to the Covid-19 list before the game. Gabriel Davis has replaced Brown as the outside receiver opposite Diggs; this move had also elevated McKenzie to the fourth wide receiver spot on the depth chart. Typically, McKenzie’s role was limited to four-receiver sets, a formation the Bills use more than any other team.

McKenzie was more involved with the offense tonight, splitting snaps with Cole Beasley in 11 personnel. It’s unclear whether Beasley was hurt early in the game — he was spotted with trainers near the end of the contest — but they were splitting the snaps as early as the first quarter.

McKenzie caught all four passes thrown his way for 26 yards, while Beasley caught 3-of-5 targets for 17 yards. If Beasley can’t play next week, expect Brown to return to the outside and Davis to see all of the snaps in the slot.

Dynasty Watch: RB Zach Moss, Buffalo Bills

Moss and Devin Singletary have split snaps all season, but Moss once again showed that he should be the one seeing the majority of carries in 2021. He ran for 57 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries tonight, while Singletary ran for 36 yards on 10 carries. Neither back was overly involved in the passing game, but Buffalo could very well add a specialist receiving back in 2021. Moss should be ranked ahead of Singletary for next season.

Dynasty Watch: RB J.J. Taylor, New England Patriots

The Patriots didn’t have Damien Harris for the second straight week, so the team got Taylor even more involved in the offense tonight. The 2020 UDFA ran six times for 38 yards, complementing Sony Michel‘s 69 yards on 10 carries.

James White and Rex Burkhead are both unrestricted free agents this offseason. If both backs leave New England, there is a chance Taylor could be part of New England’s running back rotation in 2021.

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