Week 6 vs Bengals
It was a disappointing game for Anthony Dixon last Sunday after he only had 10 touches against the Titans. He was supposed to be the No. 1 back and played 72% of the snaps, but the opportunities and production were not there.
Recently, the Bills signed Dan Herron so he is now in the mix with LeSean McCoy and Karlos Williams still out. Keep an eye on the injury report for all the Bills because that will determine everyone's value.
If Dixon is the starter, he is not a good option and should remain on the bench for Week 6 because of how he was used last week.
Week 5 at Titans
It appears Anthony Dixon will be the primary back on Sunday because of injuries to Shady McCoy and Karlos Williams. This makes Dixon a nice waiver pickup if you need a back this week. Although he has only eight carries on the season, he should get 15 to 20 touches as the starter this week.
Tennessee is 24th in aFPA to running backs, so this is a decent matchup for Dixon. Start him as a high-end RB3 as the frequency should be enough to help your fantasy team for Week 5.
Fantasy Upside
With Fred Jackson's release, Anthony Dixon looked to be the primary backup to LeSean McCoy which would make him fantasy relevant. Dixon averaged 4.1 yards per carry last season with 105 carries and he should get at least that as McCoy's backup. But...
Fantasy Downside
Dixon came down with a calf injury and now may be out up for a month which could allow Karlos Williams or Bryce Brown to grab the backup job and keep it. Bad luck for Dixon.
Bottom Line
Dixon went from being irrelevant to relevant and probably back to irrelevant again within a matter of days. That's what injuries will do in the NFL. He would have not had a major fantasy impact, but in deep leagues, he would have at least secured a roster spot.
Week 15: Dixon vs Packers
The Bills are riding Fred Jackson so that leaves Anthony Dixon on the sidelines for the most part (6 snaps last week). No fantasy value at this time.
Week 13: Dixon vs Browns
Anthony Dixon seems to be the backup behind Fred Jackson. Dixon had a 30-yard TD run last week despite the return of Jackson, he had 13 touches (same as Jackson).
It will be interesting how Buffalo uses Dixon with Bryce Brown to backup Jackson. The Bills like Brown in the passing game, but Dixon had 12 carries. There might not be enough footballs to go around, so keep Dixon on the bench for Week 13.
Week 12: Dixon vs Jets
Bryce Brown has passed Dixon on the depth chart and starter Fred Jackson is expected to return so Anthony Dixon's value is very low. Even though he received the same amount of snaps as Brown last week, he wasn't as involved with the offense. No reason to start him Week 12 against the Jets unless Jackson is a late scratch again, but even then his role will be limited behind Brown.
Week 11: Dixon vs Dolphins
After getting 35 carries the past two weeks, Anthony Dixon's workload diminished with the return of Fred Jackson. He still had nine carries and will continue to be involved in the offense, but we don't know how much.
Against the Dolphins, who are ranked 14th in aFPA to running backs, Dixon will get some touches, but not enough to warrant a start in Week 11. Keep Dixon on the bench.
Week 10: Dixon vs Chiefs
Anthony Dixon has received the bulk of the carries with CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson sidelined, but we expect Bryce Brown to start eating away at the carries. Eventually, Jackson could be back, but in the meantime, Dixon is the focus of the running game.
Even though the Chiefs are ranked 9th in aFPA to running backs, Dixon should still get a decent amount of carries and touches. Start him as a low-end RB2 for Week 10 and hope Brown remains a true backup for at least one more game.
Week 8: Brown vs Jets
Anthony Dixon will benefit from the injuries to C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson and will share the workload with Bryce Brown. Expect Dixon to see at least 10-15 touches this week so he all of the sudden as some fantasy value.
The matchup is neutral with the Jets defense which is 13th in aFPA to running backs. Dixon rates a low-end RB3 or flex for Week 8. We'll be monitoring the snap counts and workload distribution closely.
