Sammy Watkins Delayed Return Leaves Bills Fans, Fantasy Owners Worried

Coming off three straight losses, the Bills were hoping for some good news out of their bye week. They didn’t get it. The team announced star receiver Sammy Watkins still won’t be able to practice this week, according to Mark E. Ortega of NFL.com.

This was the first week Watkins was eligible to return to team activities after being placed on IR after injuring his foot before Week 4. It was a big blow to the team at the time, but they knew they should be getting him back toward the end of the season when the team would be going on its stretch run. That might not be the case after all.

Head Coach Rex Ryan said Watkins is feeling good, but “we’re gonna be smart with this and we’ll do what’s best for him, obviously,” according to NFL.com.

The earliest Watkins could return to game action would be November 27, during Week 11. That seems unlikely at this point, but it would give him the team’s last six games to make an impact. Surely, quarterback Tyrod Taylor would love to have another target to throw to, even though the offense has been doing fairly well without Watkins in the mix.

Offense Keeps Rolling:

Surprisingly, the Bills offense has actually looked better without Watkins. That’s due to some factors that will be touched on in a minute. Here’s a look at what the unit has been able to do with and without its No. 1 receiver, according to Pro-Football Reference.

“With Watkins (two games): 19 points, 276 total yards, 201 passing yards per game.

“Without Watkins (seven games): 28.4 points, 362.9 total yards, 185.1 passing yards per game.”

So, the Bills offense as a whole has done much better, but the passing game has gotten even worse. In fact, Buffalo averages the second-least yards through the air in all of football. Watkins being gone has been a big part of that.

The reason the offense has been able to stay afloat? The resurgence of LeSean McCoy. Buffalo’s running game has been stellar behind McCoy, who is having a bounce-back year after a hiccup of a 2015 campaign. Combine that with Taylor’s ability to get outside the pocket and this team is one of the most dangerous ground attacks in the game.

Buffalo’s 155 rushing yards per game place it right behind the 8-1 Dallas Cowboys as the second-best running team in the league. So, imagine all the damage the team could do if they also had a deep threat in the passing game. That’s what they have with Watkins, but they just don’t know when he’s going to be able to return to the field.

Down the stretch, the Bills have four very winnable games against the Jaguars, Browns, Dolphins, and Jets. If they can steal one from the Bengals, Raiders, or Steelers, that would put them at nine wins and with a chance at a playoff spot. Watkins might be the difference they need.

Fans in Buffalo aren’t the only ones rooting for a speedy recovery for Watkins, though.

Fantasy Impact:

Most fantasy owners with Watkins on their team thought they could depend on him this season to be an everyday plug in at one of their receiver spots. Obviously, those owners have been forced to make due with whatever they had on their bench, so the looming return of Watkins provides hope.

For most leagues, the fantasy playoffs start in Week 13. That’s two weeks after the earliest date Watkins could return. It’s anybody’s guess if he will be back, but if he’s coming back at all this season, there’s a good chance it will be on or before that week.

Just like for the Bills, Watkins’ return could mean huge changes for fantasy owners, who saw him average 12.21 fantasy points per game in traditional, non-PPR leagues a season ago. Those 12 points could be the difference between winning and losing a fantasy football championship.

We will see soon enough if Watkins can return and try to be a hero to Bills fans and fantasy owners, but for now, the waiting game continues.

[Featured Image by Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP Images]