The Buffalo Bills face a quick turnaround as they prepare for their Week 12 Thursday night road matchup against the Houston Texans. Dalton Kincaid remains sidelined with the hamstring injury he suffered two weeks ago against the Miami Dolphins. Will fantasy football managers have the top 10 tight end available on short rest?
Dalton Kincaid Injury Update
Kincaid did not practice at all last week and was ruled out on Friday ahead of the Bills’ Week 11 home matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He exited during the third quarter of Buffalo’s Week 10 road loss to Miami with a hamstring injury, visibly reaching for the area while leaving the field of play.
ESPN’s Jordan Schultz reported the Monday following the injury that Kincaid is week to week: “Sources: Bills TE Dalton Kincaid is considered week-to-week with a hamstring injury suffered Sunday vs the Dolphins.”
The Bills play Thursday night, so their first official practice report is due Monday. The team held a walkthrough on Monday, so the injury report is an estimate. Kincaid was listed as DNP (did not participate) on the estimated report. This is not surprising at all, as there was never any expectation of Kincaid returning this soon.​
Fantasy managers should fully expect Kincaid to not practice all week and not play Thursday. The combination of the hamstring injury and Buffalo’s quick turnaround to Thursday Night Football makes his return extremely unlikely.
There is a chance he can return in Week 13 after the extended rest period. The Bills will face the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 30, giving Kincaid nearly three weeks to recover from the injury.​
Kincaid’s Fantasy Outlook
Kincaid’s playing time has been the lowest of his career, with just a 43% snap share through nine games. However, he’s been targeted on 26.2% of his routes run, the second-highest rate in the league among tight ends. He may not run many routes, but when he does, Josh Allen throws to him.​
That’s been the catalyst for Kincaid averaging 12.2 fantasy points per game despite the limited usage. His 15.4 yards per reception average ranks among the best at the tight end position. The efficiency has made him a weekly TE1 option in fantasy lineups when healthy.​
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With Kincaid sidelined in Week 11, Dawson Knox was the clear TE1 for Buffalo. The veteran tight end logged 77 percent of the offensive snaps while Jackson Hawes played 34 percent of the downs. However, Knox only saw three targets in the high-scoring affair, catching one for 23 yards.​
If Knox can’t produce in a game where the Bills score 44 points, it’s safe to say fantasy managers need not concern themselves with any Bills tight end until Kincaid is able to return. Knox has failed to reach 40 receiving yards in any game this season and provides only touchdown-or-bust appeal for desperate fantasy managers.​
Khalil Shakir remains the only reliable target for Allen in the passing game for as long as Kincaid is out.
Fantasy managers rostering Kincaid should prepare for him to miss Thursday night’s game and explore waiver wire options at tight end. The earliest realistic return date appears to be Week 13 against Pittsburgh, which would give him another 11 days to recover from Thursday’s game. Hopefully, he can return fully healthy in Week 13 for the fantasy playoff push.​
