Fantasy football Week 17: Buffalo Bills passing game targets

The Buffalo Bills won't be going to the playoffs this season, and most fantasy football leagues have already wrapped up their championship games, so let's take a macro view of the Bills' offense in this week's fantasy breakdown, shall we?

On any given play on offense, there are five skill players (i.e. backs, receivers, and tight ends) on the field. In 2014, the Bills have averaged 1.14 backs, 2.52 receivers, and 1.32 tight ends on the field; they have largely flipped between two-tight end "heavy" packages and "11" personnel (three receivers, one back, one tight end) in the second half of the season.

(If you're struggling with the math, think of it this way: 1.14 backs means that they've had one back on the field for every play, plus an additional back for 14 percent of plays; 2.52 receivers means two receivers plus a third on 52 percent of plays; and 1.32 tight ends means one plus a second on 32 percent of plays. That's not the exact breakdown, of course - there can be four receivers, or three tight ends, on the field - but it'll give you a rough outline of the structure of the offense.)

Anyone who has watched Buffalo's offense at any point this season should not be surprised that it's the running back position targeted most frequently in the passing game on a per-snaps basis. Bills receivers have been targeted on just over half of the team's throws, and are easily the most productive group statistically, but the over-emphasis on the backs speaks to the issues the team has had at the quarterback position and along the offensive line. The tight end group, meanwhile, lags well behind both in terms of emphasis and production.

These numbers are just something to keep in mind as we move into offseason mode.