The Buffalo Bills have one of the deepest, yet unsettled backfields in the NFL. LeSean McCoy is the unquestioned "bell cow," as Rex Ryan said recently, but who shows up behind him? Here are our best estimates based on ESPN's 2016 fantasy football projections:
LeSean McCoy
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 279.3 carries, 1,227.8 rushing yards, 8.7 rushing touchdowns, 45 catches, 337.4 receiving yards, 1.7 receiving touchdowns
Over or under: Under. I think McCoy has looked explosive during training camp, and he certainly hasn't lost a step after turning 28 last month. But these numbers seem a little high to me, especially the nearly three-fold increase in rushing touchdowns. McCoy should get some red-zone touches, but I still believe Karlos Williams, once he returns from his four-game suspension, will steal some fantasy points from McCoy in that area.
Karlos Williams
ESPN Fantasy Projection: 63.1 carries, 277.9 rushing yards, 2.3 rushing touchdowns
Over or under: Over. It's tough to project Williams' role once he returns from his suspension, but I believe Williams can do better than this, especially in touchdowns. He had seven touchdowns in 11 games last season, and despite the addition of Reggie Bush, I still believe Williams has the potential to be the go-to guy in the red zone. It's his volume of carries outside the 20-yard line that is tougher to project.
Who else could see time: Bush could very well get more touches than Williams this season, and he could be a more productive fantasy player because of his contributions in the passing game and on special teams. Mike Gillislee also factors into the mix, and if he wins playing time, it could come at the expense of Bush's or Williams' numbers.
