Devin Singletary has struggled to assert himself as the top running back in the Buffalo Bills offense for much of his career. But he got his shot late in the 2021 season, and he seems poised to carry that over to the 2022 season. Singletary is clearly Buffalo's top running back heading into their upcoming campaign, and he could be set to build off a very productive 2021 season.
The Bills possess one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the league, which makes life for Singletary in the Bills backfield much easier than it should be. With team's worried about the threat of Josh Allen, Singletary has ample room at the line of scrimmage to find holes for himself to break off big gains.
As a result, anyone that is part of Buffalo's offense figures to have a big season in 2022. But can Singletary, who has occassionally struggled to consistently get carries, finally overcome that concern in the 2022 season? Let's take a closer look at Singletary's fantasy football outlook for the 2022 season and see how the season could play out for Buffalo's young running back.
Devin Singletary's 2022 Fantasy Football outlook
Devin Singletary began to get more consistent touches from Week 12 on, and he didn't disappoint. Over the final seven games of the regular season, Singletary had 105 carries for 455 yards and five touchdowns, while also catching 15 passes for 114 yards and another touchdown. Even then, that production is still pretty light for a lead running back, but Singletary showed what he's capable of with the ball in his hands down the stretch of the season.
After successfully fending off Zack Moss early in the season, the lead running back job is Singletary's to lose heading into the 2022 season. The problem is that in Buffalo's offense, that doesn't mean much. Even over that final seven game stretch where Singletary was handed the lead role, he only averaged 17 touches a game (including receptions), which really isn't that much for a top tier running back.
In a sense, it's somewhat mind-boggling that Singletary doesn't get the ball more often. He averaged a healthy 4.6 yards per carry, which was among the best in the NFL. If you give him a more standard volume of carries, Singletary is probably one of the top running backs in the league. Instead, he's just a sidekick to Allen and Buffalo's passing game.
Singletary's limited volume of touches will limit his fantasy impact right off the bat. Allen and the passing attack will lead the way, but even then, Singletary has still struggled to get consistent touches when Buffalo opts to keep the ball on the ground. That's because the Bills have so many different options when it comes to their ground game, and their ability to switch on a dime allows them to throttle opponents.
Behind Devin Singletary, the Bills have 2022 second-round pick James Cook, Moss, and veteran back Duke Johnson. Each of those guys, aside from maybe Johnson, are going to take touches away from Singletary each week. It's also worth noting that Allen is a dangerous threat on the ground (122 CAR, 763 YDS, 6 TD) which also takes carries away from Singletary.
Singletary is still going to be fighting for touches out of the backfield this season, even though he's the team's top running back. When it comes Singletary's fantasy stock, that's not a very encouraging outlook.
Still, Singletary has value in the sense that he can rip off big plays at any given moment in the Bills dangerous offense. He also scored eight touchdowns last season, and his ability to find the end zone should prove to be helpful again in 2022. But Singletary ultimately hasn't gotten enough volume to be a consistent fantasy option early on in his career, and it looks like 2022 will be no different for him.
Singletary finished the 2021 season as the 19th best fantasy running back, and chances are he will fall down that list a bit in 2022. Many top running backs were injured for much of the prior season, and even then, Singletary can't really be counted on to consistently put up strong fantasy outings.
Singletary is a borderline top 25 running back, and he will have some more value in non-PPR leagues, as Cook figures to profile as more of a pass-catching back than Singletary. But Singletary really shouldn't be counted on as anything more than a FLEX option to start the season.
As a result, Singletary won't be taken until the middle rounds in most drafts. The earliest he should probably go is the eighth round, but even then that might be early. If Singletary is on the board between rounds 10-12, that's probably his sweet spot. Devin Singletary has upside, but until he begins to get a more consistent volume of touches, he will be tough to rely on in most fantasy leagues.
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