On the heels of Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins being placed on injured reserve with a foot injury, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin are in line to take on a bigger role within the offense.
The Bills announced the move regarding Watkins Friday as well as the signing of former Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins wideout Justin Hunter.
Watkins has developed into one of the NFL‘s most dynamic receivers since entering the league as the No. 4 overall pick in 2014, and he has built a great rapport with quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
Despite missing three games due to injury last season, Watkins reeled in 60 receptions for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns. In two games this year prior to getting placed on IR, Watkins made six catches for 63 yards.
With Watkins serving as the unquestioned No. 1 target, Woods and Goodwin have contributed the following production this season:
Robert Woods
Woods is now in line to step up as the de facto top target after picking up six receptions on eight targets for 51 yards in Watkins’ absence last week against the Arizona Cardinals.
He entered 2016 having started 38 games over his first three seasons in the NFL, but he experienced a decline in production last season after a 2014 campaign that saw him set career highs with 65 grabs for 699 yards and five touchdowns.
Woods seemingly struggled to get on the same page with Taylor, and he also dealt with nagging injuries that cost him to miss two games. The result was a disappointing 47/552/3 stat line.
Woods has the potential to be PPR gold, however, since there isn’t much to speak of aside from him within Buffalo’s receiving corps.
He may not be the type of deep threat Taylor likes to utilize, but he doesn’t have many other options at his disposal, which puts Woods in line to see tons of targets.
Marquise Goodwin
Goodwin, on the other hand, hasn’t carved out a consistent offensive role for himself during his three-plus years in the league.
The 2013 third-round pick entered 2016 with just 20 receptions and three touchdowns to his credit. In 2014 and 2015 combined, he made just three receptions for 66 yards and no scores. Injuries were a huge part of that, especially last season when he played in just two contests.
One thing working in Goodwin’s favor, though, is the fact that he is a world-class speedster. Taylor loves to take shots down the field, and if Watkins’ injury leads to an increased role for Goodwin, he could be the main beneficiary in that area of the passing game.
Due to Goodwin’s small frame and overall lack of success, it seems unlikely that he will ever become a high-volume pass-catcher even with Watkins on the shelf.
Because of that, Goodwin isn’t worth a waiver-wire add, and starting him would come with too much risk since he is so dependent on big plays.
Final Analysis
While no Bills wide receiver is likely to put up huge production, Woods is undoubtedly the one to own after Taylor looked his way often in Week 3.
Woods won’t put up big numbers on a weekly basis, but his usage should be consistent, and that makes him a worthwhile addition.
Goodwin is too much of a feast-or-famine option to own since he is injury prone in his own right and only produces when he catches deep passes, which isn’t often.
When it comes to Buffalo’s passing game from a fantasy perspective, add Woods, ignore Goodwin and keep an eye on Hunter to see how well he integrates into the offense.
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