Buffalo Bills: Andre Holmes 2017 fantasy football outlook
By Connor Price
In deeper leagues Bills wide receiver Andre Holmes could be worth a look. His ability to find the endzone 3 or 4 times a season, with a decent amount of yards to support it is something worth a thought
Former Raiders wide receiver, Andre Holmes, enters the season in the number 3 spot on the Bills depth chart. Holmes signed as a free agent with Buffalo this year for three years and up to 6.5 million dollars.
Pro Football Focus raves about the receiver:
"“Holmes is a long-time favorite of fantasy football Twitter. On the surface, he seemingly gets a downgrade in situation going from Oakland’s offense to Buffalo’s, but that may not be the case when potential opportunity is considered. Buried behind Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree on a Raiders’ depth chart that only bequeathed him 28 targets last season, Holmes now steps into an offense that has lost Robert Woods (71 targets in 2016) and Marquise Goodwin (63 targets). That opportunity is amplified by that fact that, under Rex Ryan, Buffalo had the fewest pass attempts in the NFL last season, a number that should increase by default under a new coaching staff. “"
They commented on the loss of Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin that opens up a plethora of targets for new receivers entering the Bills system this year such as Holmes and Zay Jones.
There are a vast number of variables that could affect Holmes production this year.
The first being Tyrod Taylor. The quarterback has a few good seasons behind him, but it will be interesting to see how he produces with the new coaching staff. Rookies are so unpredictable. Zay Jones could fall off the face of the earth by the second month which would elevate Holmes into the number 2 spot, or Jones could breakout. The final being Sammy Watkin’s health concerns which would affect the whole roster.
The late rounds of a fantasy draft are where you want to pick players with high upside. Andre Holmes can be that guy. Pro Football Focus currently has him ranked 98th in fantasy receivers for the upcoming season.
His situation is comparable to Tyler Boyd and Kamar Aiken. Shadowed by high-profile receivers, but they all have talent that could move them up the roster.
I believe Holmes stat line this year will surpass his numbers in Oakland. He has 201 yards and three touchdowns last season
. My projections for 2017 have him at 425 yards and two touchdowns. I think there will be an uptick in yards from his recent years, but the Bills have a ton of red zone options that could affect his number of touchdowns.
2017 Andre Holmes fantasy projections:
- 425 receiving yards
- 2 receiving touchdowns
- 54 fantasy points
This would put him at about 50 to 60 fantasy points on the season. I would be shocked to see him go beyond these numbers.
The Bills wide receiver depth chart is full of talented players, any of whom could have a breakout season in store. Although Pro Football Focus is high on him, and his number of touchdowns in recent years is admirable, there could be better late round talent available at the spot most will be looking to select Holmes.
You should be able to select players such as ArDarius Stewart and Marcus Wheaton in a similar spot. Neither of these players have reputable quarterbacks, but they could have more upside from how unproven they are.
If you were to look for players with talented quarterbacks throwing them the ball, then Travis Benjamin and Chris Hogan should be available as well.
This is not a knock on Holmes because a 425 yard/2 touchdown season is solid for a guy like him. But I believe there will be better choices in the late rounds.
Next: Buffalo Bills: Sammy Watkins 2017 fantasy football outlook
How do you think Andre Holmes will perform this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!