Who won Bills wide receiver battle between Emmanuel Sanders, Gabriel Davis

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Gabriel Davis finished the preseason on a high note. In the exhibition finale against the Packers, he caught a beautiful 31-yard pass for a touchdown, finishing the game with five catches on five targets and 75 yards. He and Emmanuel Sanders handled most of the work on the outside in that game with Stefon Diggs not dressed.

Sanders also played in that game, his first taste of preseason action. (He’d been dealing with a foot issue.) The veteran worked from the outside and rotated into the slot for a few plays as well. They both played 33 snaps.

The third receiver job, to start the season, goes to Sanders. He was targeted eight times in that game, with Diggs out.

Verdict

Sanders figures to be a more active third receiver than John Brown was last year. He saw the most targets while playing with the starters in that last preseason game, and had the versatility to work both the slot and outside. For now, he’s No. 3, but keep an eye on target distribution once the season gets underway to see if he has an edge over Cole Beasley.

Davis clearly has a role in this offense too. He may not be more than a fill-in for fantasy lineups as long as he’s fourth on the depth chart, but if Sanders—who is 34—or any of the other receives have injury issues pop up, Davis will see a lot of snaps.

Fantasy football implications

The Bills throw the ball so much that their third receiver, Sanders, has fantasy appeal as a WR3 or Flex. Davis could end up being one of the better waiver wire additions as the season moves on.