Dawson Knox: Fantasy football draft profile for 2023 NFL season

For the past two years, Dawson Knox has been one of the best tight ends in football. Now, he’ll enter the 2023 season with a good measure of uncertainty around his standing on the team due to the presence of rookie Dalton Kincaid. Here’s what you can expect from Knox in what should be a pivotal season.

2023 Fantasy Football: Dawson Knox Profile

Recap of 2022 season

Last year, Knox tallied 517 yards and six touchdowns in the first year of a four-year $53.6 million extension. Knox’s best season came in 2021 when he had 587 yards and nine touchdowns, which set a record for the most touchdowns by a tight end in Bills history. While Knox isn’t the most athletic tight end in the NFL, he’s a sure-handed safety valve for Josh Allen.

Updated Bills outlook

While the Bills have one of the most dangerous offenses in all of football, we’re still not sure if that’ll translate to production from their tight ends. Knox took a backseat to receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis last season, and it's unclear if that trend will continue into this season.

Best-case scenario

Knox holds off Kincaid and continues to be one of Josh Allen’s go-to targets while putting together a better start to the season compared to last year (he only had 327 yards and two touchdowns through the first 11 games).

Worst-case scenario

Kincaid passes him by on the depth chart, and he’s pigeon-holed into a red zone target. The Bills are going to play Kincaid (the No. 25 pick in April’s Draft), and could quickly turn Knox into a thing of the past if he gets off to a strong start.

Prediction

That worst-case scenario becomes a reality: Knox gets demoted on the depth chart. Kincaid was widely regarded as the best tight end in the draft and is a dangerous athletic weapon who’s just as comfortable in the trenches as he is getting the ball in open space. He’s the perfect weapon to pair with Josh Allen, and I don’t think it will take long for the rest of the NFL to see that as well.