The Buffalo Bills followed up their impressive Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams by destroying the Tennessee Titans in Week 2 by a score of 41-7. Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs were in control all night long, and there was never really any doubt that the Bills would come out on top in this game.
By now, the Bills offense seems to be in cruise control every time they take the field. Allen and Diggs are lethal, and Gabriel Davis is just as effective when he plays. The running back committee is led by Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, and James Cook, and given all the other weapons that are behind these guys that pop up from time to time, it's extremely difficult to slow down Buffalo's offense.
While Davis missing Week 2 wasn't a huge issue for Buffalo because Tennessee's top cornerback Kristian Fulton missed the game too, that may not be the same story in Week 3 if Davis can't play for the second week straight. If Davis can't play, that makes one of the Bills underrated wideouts one of the top fantasy football sleepers in the entire league. Let's identify that player and look at why that is the case.
Bills Week 3 fantasy football sleeper
WR Isaiah McKenzie
With Davis out in Week 2, Isaiah McKenzie was expected to see an uptick in production as he filled in his spot. That didn't end up happening though, because the Titans simply had no answer for Diggs. Diggs accounted for practically half of Allen's 317 passing yards with a 12 catch, 148 yard, three touchdown masterpiece.
It's not surprising to see that didn't leave a lot of production left for the rest of the team, specifically McKenzie, who was supposed to be the team's second option at wide receiver behind Diggs. McKenzie ended up catching just two passes for 37 yards, which was a fairly disappointing outing for him considering the circumstances.
Based on that outing, it would seem like a good idea to avoid McKenzie for the time being. That's especially pertinent if Davis ends up playing in Week 3, as he will take up all the targets McKenzie was supposed to get. But if Davis ends up being unable to play for the second straight week, McKenzie could be an interesting sleeper pick for the second straight week.
For starters, Diggs isn't going to put together the type of incredible performance he put up in Week 2 every time he takes the field. The Titans secondary had no answer for Diggs with Fulton not on the field, and Allen took advantage of that all night long. Diggs is going to face a much tougher task going up against Xavien Howard and the Miami Dolphins in Week 3, though.
Whereas there was really no need for McKenzie to get involved against the Titans, the same may not be true against the Dolphins. Diggs won't have the same success against Howard and the Dolphins secondary, meaning someone is going to have to step up as a secondary option for Allen. If Davis cannot play in Week 3, that guy will be McKenzie.
While McKenzie hasn't been the most consistent player in the NFL during his career, we know that he can produce when he gets the chance to do so. He had a breakout game against the New England Patriots last season when he hauled in 11 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Ever since then, McKenzie has drawn a bit more attention from opposing defenses than beforehand.
Things didn't work out for McKenzie against the Titans, but that doesn't mean that will be the case every time he takes the field. McKenzie's status as a sleeper pick relies heavily on Davis' injury status, but if Davis cannot play, McKenzie has a real shot to turn in a strong performance in Week 3 against the Dolphins.
With Howard focusing on Diggs, and Byron Jones on the sidelines, that would set McKenzie up for a matchup with Nik Needham, who hasn't been very good to start the season. Needham got torched against the Baltimore Ravens last week, and ended up playing himself off the field for the most part. He could find his way back on the field in Week 3, though, giving McKenzie a very favorable matchup.
There's a chance Davis plays, but if he doesn't McKenzie would be a very solid sleeper option for a FLEX play in Week 3. Sure, things didn't work out for him in Week 2, but he's going to have a lot working for him in Week 3 that didn't work for him in Week 2. If Davis is out, it may be worth taking a flier on Isaiah McKenzie in hopes he can put together a strong bounce back game against the Dolphins.
Follow Us
Subscribe