The Buffalo Bills have cemented themselves as early AFC East favorites with a strong 4-2 start, primarily on the shoulders of a new run-heavy offense.
Running back James Cook was a late scratch just before Buffalo’s Week 6 Monday Night Football meeting with their rival New York Jets. Rookie halfback Ray Davis filled in admirably with a breakout performance and propelled his team to victory. Now that Davis has excelled on the national stage, what does the future hold for him in fantasy football?
How good is the rookie?
Davis’ college career was a long one, spanning five years with stops at Temple, Vanderbilt, and Kentucky. He broke the 1,000-yard mark in back-to-back seasons with Vandy in 2022 and Kentucky in 2023. In his final college campaign, Davis rushed for 1,129 yards on 5.7 yards per attempt and caught 33 passes for another 323 yards. He also scored 21 total touchdowns, an impressive haul.
While the 24-year-old Davis entered the 2024 NFL Draft as an older prospect, his production in the SEC spoke for itself. The Bills selected him in the fourth round with hopes he could become an instant contributor on a team with Lombardi Trophy aspirations.
The rookie didn’t see the field much through the opening weeks of 2024, though Davis scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 3 against Jacksonville. However, he was thrust into action as the starter when Cook was declared inactive prior to the Week 6 matchup with the Jets. Davis produced 97 yards on 20 carries and hauled in all three of his targets for an additional 55 yards — the only thing missing was a touchdown.
What’s Davis’ fantasy outlook?
The 5-foot-8-inch, 220-pound halfback is quite talented and he showed it when his number was called on short notice. It’s especially interesting that he scored 18.2 fantasy points in Week 6 while playing 58% of the total offensive snaps, far from a bell cow’s share.
Unfortunately for Davis, Cook will likely rejoin the backfield sooner rather than later once he’s recovered from his toe injury. That could come as soon as Week 7 vs. the Tennessee Titans, in which case Davis will likely be relegated back to second on the depth chart.
If Cook is healthy and retakes the starting job, Davis probably isn’t a reliable option in fantasy lineups. The Titans possess a top-10 run defense and Davis’ role is almost certain to shrink if he’s relegated back to second-string.
Don’t drop Davis yet, though
Yes, Cook will likely resume his previous position as the starting RB in Buffalo, however, Davis’ performance in a big AFC East win may have earned the trust of Buffalo’s coaching staff. With that trust comes the possibility of an expanded role. It’s not guaranteed, but there’s a chance Davis becomes the 1B to Cook’s 1A as the season goes on. At the very least, they could give Davis some short yardage and goal-line opportunities since he’s built much more solidly than his counterpart.
If nothing else, Davis is now a premier handcuff option in fantasy football. If Cook misses time at any point, expect the rookie to once again step up as the starter for a Bills offense which ranks top-seven in scoring output this season. Don’t drop him in fantasy — just keep Davis on the bench until his number is called.
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