Week 10 vs. New Orleans Saints
Tyrod Taylor had season-highs in completions, attempts, and yardage last week against Oakland. He also threw 2 scores and has a 5-to-1 TD-to-INT rate. Taylor also ran for a touchdown for the second straight game. Not only are the Bills playoff contenders, but Taylor has turned himself into a legit fantasy option on a weekly basis.
Buffalo faces the Saints, who are ranked 15th in aFPA vs. quarterbacks, so Taylor should continue his effectiveness. Start Taylor as a solid QB1 for Week 10.
Week 9 at New York Jets
Tyrod Taylor's stock continues to rise. He played a very efficient game against Oakland last week, completing 74% of his passes, although the fantasy numbers were not great, throwing for only 165 yards and 1 touchdown. He also ran for a touchdown to help his numbers. A bigger factor came this week when the Bills finally got Taylor a legit No. 1 receiver when they traded for WR Kelvin Benjamin.
The matchup is good for Buffalo against the Jets who are 29th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Taylor has been serviceable against the Jets the last two meetings, throwing for 521 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Taylor is a very good play this week. He rates as a low-end QB1. Combine the matchup and the addition of Benjamin, it all adds up to start Taylor in Week 9.
Week 8 vs. Oakland Raiders
Tyrod Taylor had one of his more efficient games of the season last week when he threw for a season-high 268 yards. He also rushed for 53 yards, but he's still lacking in the scoring department. Taylor has only thrown 7 touchdowns in six games and has 0 rushing touchdowns. Although he has not scored a lot, he does only have 2 interceptions on the season.
Taylor will face a Raiders defense ranked 24th in aFPA to quarterbacks. And since he is playing at home in the Eastern time zone, this bodes well for his outlook on Sunday. Start Taylor in Week 8 as a solid QB1. Hopefully, he will start getting the ball in the end zone more, either through the air or on the ground.
Week 7 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Taylor is coming off a bye week but threw a season-high 37 pass attempts in his last game against Cincinnati. It was one of his worst outings of the season, only completing 54% of his passes for 166 yards. His offensive line continues to struggle to protect him, which is definitely impacting his numbers.
The Bills are back home this week and will host a Tampa defense ranked 30th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Taylor has not put up good numbers yet this season, but that could change this week. He ranks as a high-end QB2 for Week 7, so starting him is not out of the question. The matchup is definitely in his favor.
Week 5 at Cincinnati Bengals
Tyrod Taylor threw a season-low 20 passes, had a season-low 60% completion rate, a season-low 182 yards passing, rushed for a season-low 12 yards, and threw only one touchdown. Ask Bills fans if they care, because they will say no. Buffalo went into Atlanta and beat the Falcons. Now, that doesn't help Taylor's owners, but it does solidify his job and shows that even with all those lows, he has been consistent through the first quarter of 2017.
Taylor will be on the road again in Cincinnati, who is ranked 11th in aFPA to quarterbacks. This means once again, Taylor will be a solid QB2 for Week 5. He is good depth to have for your bye week or if you are in a Superflex league, but QB2 is his ceiling most weeks.
Week 4 at Atlanta Falcons
One of the biggest surprises from Week 3 was the performance of Tyrod Taylor against Denver. Taylor was very efficient completing 77% of his passes for 213 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Although Taylor ran for a career-low 12 yards, it was still a very good day for him on all fronts.
For Week 4, Taylor and the Bills will hit the road to face the Falcons, who are 14th in aFPA to quarterbacks. Buffalo will probably not be as successful on the road so that will be taken into consideration each week. Taylor rates as a QB2 this Sunday, so he should sit in most leagues and formats.
Week 3 vs. Denver Broncos
Tyrod Taylor's numbers last week weren't bad from a football standpoint. He did complete 68% of his passes and didn't throw an interception. However, he threw for only 125 yards and zero touchdowns. He did rush for 55 yards which helped anyone who played him, but so far, Taylor is off to a slow, but not unexpected, start.
It won't get easier this week when Buffalo hosts the Broncos. Denver is ranked first in aFPA to quarterbacks and has one of the best defenses in the NFL. Taylor might be running for his life which might help him with his rushing numbers, but passing stats won't be any better than the first two weeks.
Taylor has the qualities of a QB2 on certain weeks, but the Broncos defense makes him have very little value for Week 3. There's no reason to play him this week.
Week 2 at Carolina Panthers
Tyrod Taylor had a decent game in Week 1 with 224 yards passing and 2 touchdowns. He also added 38 yards rushing. But that was against the Jets whose defense will be in the bottom third of the league most of the season. The rushing yardage is encouraging because the Bills will rely on a strong commitment to the run and Taylor be a part of that plan.
Things will be a little harder with a road game against a good Panthers defense. Taylor will face a more athletic defense which means his rushing yards could be limited and Carolina is 6th in aFPA to quarterbacks after Week 1.
Taylor is good depth and will be ranked a QB2 most weeks including Week 2 against the Panthers. Treat him as a backup in all leagues,
Week 1 vs. New York Jets
Tyrod Taylor starts off the season with a good matchup. The Jets defense was 19th against the pass last season and are expected to be worse. Last season, Taylor threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2 against this team. However, he was benched for the second meeting in Week 17.
Taylor had a concussion in the preseason but practiced Thursday and will play in the opener.
This is a great matchup for Taylor, who will get support from a running game that should be strong. But who will replace Sammy Watkins downfield? We might find out Week 1, but that is still a big question mark. Taylor rates as a high-end No. 2 quarterback for Week 1. He will sneak into the QB1 category if the players around him end up being effective.
Fantasy Upside
Tyrod Taylor has put up respectable numbers in his first two years as the Bills' starting quarterback, throwing for over 3,000 yards and rushing for over 500 yards in both seasons. In 2016, he reached those numbers without leading wide receiver Sammy Watkins for half the season. Also, he's thrown only a combined 12 interceptions on 817 attempts the last two years. Taylor is only 27, so there is a chance he will still get better. The Bills brought in new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison, who runs the West Coast offense, which plays to the strength of a quarterback with Taylor's skill set.
Fantasy Downside
One question for Buffalo: are there enough weapons for Taylor? The answer is yes and no. Watkins is a legitimate No. 1 receiver and LeSean McCoy is a legit all-purpose back. However, after that, there are question marks. The Bills did draft WR Zay Jones in the second round, but rookie receivers are a crapshoot on how impactful they can be. Plus, with a new coaching staff led by head coach Sean McDermott, do they believe in Taylor?
2017 Bottom Line
It's a tough call with Taylor. It could be a reach if you draft him as your No. 1 QB, but there is a chance his numbers go up. His ADP is low enough in the late rounds of most drafts, which makes him less risky of a pick. If you think the Bills offense will prosper under McDermott and Dennison, you could reach for him a round or two earlier than his ADP to serve as a high-end No. 2 QB on your roster. As of now, Taylor ranks as a tier three QB with an above average chance to outproduce his ADP.
