Third in a series
The problems the Bills have are not the same for fantasy owners. Head coach Chan Gailey might love having two quality backs but it's a nightmare for fantasy owners. Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller will create headaches from a fantasy football perspective on draft day.
Here are some questions about the Bills entering the offseason:
What does the team do with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller?
Spiller has to be seen as the future of the club after his performance the final six games as a starter. Over that span, he averaged 14.3 attempts for 74.3 yards and 0.5 TDs while contributing with four catches for 31.2 yards and 0.3 TDs. Those numbers gave him greater value in PPR leagues and helped fantasy owners down the stretch. Entering his third season, he should finally begin to put it all together and will enter camp battling for the job or at least a time-share role.
Fred Jackson has proven to the world he's an elite back. In his first nine games, he averaged 18.1 attempts for 101.9 yards and 0.8 TDs with 3.8 catches for 43.6 yards but no TDs. Jackson's the proven workhorse and will be playing for a contract next season. Despite being on the wrong side of 30 (he turns 31 in February), he has averaged only 136.2 rush attempts over his six NFL seasons.
The problem is, how will the team choose to play the duo in 2012? I can envision a time share but the flow of the game dictating how each back is used will also factor in. Look for Jackson to be a high mid-round pick with Spiller following shortly thereafter.
However, staying away from this situation is the best bet right now.
Stevie Johnson is a free agent and the team's only productive wide receiver, what will the team do?
Johnson averaged 4.75 catches for 62.75 yards and 0.4 TDs on 8.4 targets, and the team plans to re-sign him. He's QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's favorite target and will only get better as he matures. However, his numbers are tied to the inconsistency that Fitzpatrick brings. The real question is what happens to the other wide receivers?
Donald Jones ended the season on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain and David Nelson managed to average only 3.8 catches for 41.1 yards and 0.3 TDs. The team will look to sign a free agent to upgrade the position. Jones will be given a shot to compete but you have to wonder about Nelson, as he had the opportunity to showcase himself and couldn't. It's a wait-and-see situation with the Bills' No. 2 WR — likely a free-agent signee.