Why You Should Target Him: Week 1 Matchup Against the New York Jets
As mentioned at the top, Tyrod Taylor's finished as a top-eight passer in fantasy points per game over the last two years, yet is currently being drafted as a middle-of-the-road QB2 in most 12-team leagues.
What did he do to your family?
A huge boost to Taylor's potential this year is a (hopefully) healthy Sammy Watkins. Here's a look at Taylor's splits with and without Watkins over his two years as starter for the Bills, excluding the Week 17s.
| Stat | With Watkins | Without Watkins |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 17 | 11 |
| Passing TDs/Game | 1.59 | 0.91 |
| Yards Per Attempt | 7.77 | 6.91 |
| Rushing TDs/Game | 0.24 | 0.45 |
| Fantasy Points/Game | 19.17 | 18.03 |
His fantasy points per game averages don't look alarmingly different, but that's mostly because Taylor's averaged more rushing touchdowns on the ground without Watkins in the game. That may be partially due to having a higher ground game reliance (he averaged about an attempt and a half more per game without Watkins than with him), but rushing touchdowns are inherently volatile at quarterback, too.
The key thing to note is that he is, quite simply, a far better passer. And that'll provide confidence and a nicer floor each week.
To top it off, Taylor gets a juicy Week 1 matchup against a really inexperienced Jets' secondary that'll probably be rolling out two rookies at safety. Buffalo's already listed as 6.5-point favorites in that game, as well, meaning Tyrod will have a nice positive game script to work with.