The NFL season is in full swing. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 8 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news. Dalton Kincaid missed some practice time this week due to injury. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Dalton Kincaid Playing Week 8?
Kincaid was a limited participant in practice all week, continuing to manage the oblique injury that forced him to miss Buffalo’s Week 6 loss to the Falcons. While it would be preferable for him to have fully moved past the issue, all indications point toward the Bills being cautious rather than concerned.
The tight end’s Week 7 bye gave him additional time to heal, and this week he was able to take contact at practice for the first time since sustaining the injury.
Head coach Sean McDermott confirmed that Kincaid would remain day-to-day, emphasizing that the team isn’t rushing him but that he “looked comfortable” executing his normal workload. Kincaid has been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, but the general expectation is that he will play after handling limited sessions without issue.
The Bills took a similarly cautious approach before the Week 6 game, making Kincaid a true game-time decision, but they opted to sit him out to give him additional rest. With two full weeks now passed, that patience appears to be paying off. The tight end removed his red non-contact jersey during Wednesday’s practice and has shown steady progress every day since.
Kincaid’s ability to participate in all practice sessions ahead of Sunday’s 1:00 PM ET kickoff strongly suggests he’s trending toward a return. The early start time ensures fantasy managers will know his status well before lineups lock.
If any setbacks occur, Dawson Knox would again fill the TE1 role for Buffalo, though his limited target share makes him a far less appealing fantasy option. However, all reports out of Orchard Park this week have been positive, and there’s every reason to believe Kincaid will be ready to go.
Kincaid’s Fantasy Football Outlook
An oblique injury cost Kincaid Week 6 and that needs to be watched, but the general hope is that he’s ready to go after the bye.
There’s no denying that Kincaid has been great this season, and with each passing week, it appears likely that he is the answer to the question as to which pass catcher holds the most value in this Josh Allen-led machine.
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The former first-round pick has a touchdown or six targets in every game. His aDOT sat at 6.7 yards during his high-volume rookie season, rose to 8.2 in Year 2, and through five games this season, is currently 9.7. This development makes sense with James Cook and Khalil Shakir largely responsible for the horizontal targets, though it should be noted that the further routes extend downfield, the wider the range of outcomes gets.
Kincaid already has a career-high in single-season touchdown receptions, and he’s done it with a red zone target rate that is actually lagging from where it finished last season. This is obviously a good spot for the Buffalo offense, and that should have you feeling very confident in their lead tight end, provided that there are no reports of the injury lingering.
— PFSN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
