Buffalo Bills fantasy football preview, Week 8: Just don’t do it

If you’re still playing Buffalo Bills players in your fantasy football lineup, I commend you for your gusto. You definitely have some guts, and if your team is winning while putting Bills’ players in the lineup? Man, you just might be a wizard!

In all seriousness, there is no way that I can type with a straight face and recommend that you put a Buffalo player in your fantasy football lineup on Monday night against the New England Patriots. There is no way that I can encourage you to start players who are part of an anemic offense in your fantasy football lineup. There is no way I can tell you that there is a Buffalo player poised to break out against a team that the Bills have only managed to defeat three times since my sophomore year of high school in 2001.

So no, I don’t think that anyone is a solid start this Monday against New England. But if you do play a Buffalo player, here are the ones who might earn you a respectable amount of points this week.

RB Chris Ivory

I think that Buffalo’s backup is the better play this week even if Bills’ starter LeSean McCoy is active. The Bills have five double-digit scoring outputs from running backs this season, and Ivory owns three of them. He is Buffalo’s leader in rushing attempts with 67. He is the man on short-yardage plays, and he is also a capable receiver in a game where the Bills will certainly look to utilize the backs in the quick passing game. Ivory’s value is definitely tied to McCoy’s health, but even if Shady plays, Ivory might be the better bet as a flex player this week.

WR Kelvin Benjamin

Buffalo’s frustrating wide receiver had his best day as a Bill last week, totaling 4 catches and 71 yards in the 37-5 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. If Benjamin capitalizes on his rapport with Derek Anderson from their time together with the Carolina Panthers, it’s possible that he could have another good day. Sometimes, home underdogs come out with a burst of energy on Monday Night Football, and maybe Benjamin can capitalize on that wave of pride early in the game. He may also be able to rack up some garbage-time numbers in the second half if the game goes south quickly.

K Stephen Hauschka

If the Bills can at least move inside of New England’s 40-yard line, head coach Sean McDermott might be content to settle for field goals in order to try to slow the game down and keep things close. Enter Hausch-money, Buffalo’s dynamite kicker, who is a weapon from anywhere on the opponent’s half of the field. All it takes is two long field goals for Hauschka to score ten points, and I think it’s feasible that he does it.