Buffalo Bills wide receivers Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir are facing an uphill battle in fantasy football circles, with PFSN’s Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer data revealing both players among the top-10 most traded away through early August.
Despite Buffalo’s offensive potential with Josh Allen under center, fantasy managers remain skeptical about investing in the Bills’ receiving corps at current draft prices.
Historical Context Shapes Current Skepticism
The numbers tell a compelling story about Buffalo’s receiving hierarchy since Stefon Diggs’ departure. Diggs remains the only player in franchise history to post both 1,000 receiving yards and 70 catches in a single season with Allen throwing him the ball.
The former Bills star also holds the distinction of being Allen’s only receiver to reach eight touchdown passes in a year, establishing a benchmark that wasn’t matched in the first season without him.
This historical context helps explain why PFSN users are hitting the trade button on Coleman (75% trade away rate) and Shakir (69.2% trade away rate). While Shakir emerged as Buffalo’s primary target last season with 76 receptions for 821 yards and four touchdowns, fantasy managers appear unconvinced he can build upon that production level. Coleman, entering his second season, showed flashes as a rookie but hasn’t yet proven he can be the consistent fantasy producer Allen needs.
The addition of Josh Palmer through free agency adds another layer of uncertainty to an already crowded receiver room. Palmer brings NFL experience, but his arrival further muddles target distribution projections for a passing attack that struggled to establish a clear hierarchy beyond Shakir last season.
KHALIL SHAKIR 51-YARD TOUCHDOWNpic.twitter.com/vUFHFHLkpo
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) December 8, 2024
Schedule Concerns Add to Fantasy Woes
Buffalo’s late-season schedule presents another obstacle for fantasy managers banking on Bills receivers. During the crucial fantasy playoff weeks (15-17), the team faces a brutal stretch that includes road games against New England and Cleveland before hosting the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17.
This timing couldn’t be worse for fantasy purposes. Even if Coleman or Shakir separates himself as Allen’s go-to target during the regular season, that difficult closing schedule creates significant downside risk when championships are on the line. Road games in potentially cold weather conditions, combined with facing a strong Eagles defense at home, present matchup challenges that could derail even the most promising fantasy campaigns.
The combination of unproven production ceilings and scheduling concerns creates a perfect storm of fantasy uncertainty. While Allen’s presence guarantees the offense will move the ball, translating that into consistent individual receiver production remains the question mark driving those high trade away rates.
For fantasy managers willing to take the risk, both Coleman and Shakir represent potential value picks given their current skepticism. However, the data suggests most PFSN users would rather look elsewhere for their fantasy receiver production, leaving Buffalo’s pass catchers as true sleeper candidates with significant upside but equally notable risk factors.
