Shakir, Ty Johnson remain out on Tuesday

Shakir’s modest target total was primarily a product of a ground-heavy approach from the Bills, who were playing without both DJ Moore and Joshua Palmer. His quiet fantasy outing was quickly remedied through a 57-yard, catch-and-run reception on the team’s second possession of overtime to set up the game-winning, Tyler Bass field goal. Shakir remains a shaky fantasy bet ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Raiders.

Shakir served as Josh Allen’s safety blanket for much of the first half, but he was quiet for much of the second half. Most of his production came on a 51-yard catch-and-run, where he broke a few tackles and got the Bills into the red zone. On another catch-and-run opportunity, he had the ball punched out by two Patriots defenders for a crucial fumble. Shakir and Allen were also not on the same page on a key third-down pass that led to a punt. The Bills are going to need more from Shakir if DJ Moore (Shoulder) misses any time, but Shakir did play the second-most snaps of any receiver and ran the most routes, so his role is still there.

The Bills’ offense was totally out of sorts in this game, and Shakir was hurt by their inability to get anything going through the air. Still, he played on 45 of their 62 snaps and ran a route on 23 of their 33 dropbacks, the second-most of any wide receiver. He’ll be in for a better game against the Patriots next week, but he remains just a desperation FLEX play right now unless the Bills are headed for a shootout.

Johnson missed the first two games after having his hamstring accessory tendon removed on August 11th. We’re not sure what that entails, but it doesn’t sound like a minor injury, and it makes sense why Johnson is only now able to return. Still, in his first game back, Johnson remains the clear passing game back in Buffalo’s offense. While he was second on the team in receiving, he played just 15 snaps, and 30 of his 50 receiving yards came on one catch. He’s not a recommended option in fantasy, and Ray Davis would remain the main beneficiary if James Cook were to get hurt.

He practiced in full all week and will return to his third-down role against the Chargers.

Shakir continued in a gadgety role for the Bills, primarily working the short areas of the field in addition to receiving snaps out of the backfield. That could change in the immediate future after lead receiver DJ Moore departed in the second quarter with what appeared to be a significant shoulder injury. Even so, Shakir is best left on the waiver wire in all but the deepest fantasy leagues.

Johnson mainly serves as a third-down specialist, so his absence is not hugely consequential. The Bills promoted RB Frank Fore Jr. from the practice squad. He and RB Ray Davis will back up starting RB James Cook tonight.

Bills RB James Cook totaled 57 yards on just 13 rushing attempts last week, adding three catches for 12 yards. Per Fowler, the Bills plan to use him a lot more in primetime this evening. Cook can be treated as a locked-in RB1 in what should be a fantasy-friendly game environment on Thursday Night Football. The Bills notably elevated RB Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad, which could indicate that RB Ty Johnson (hamstring) will be inactive tonight.

Johnson was limited in practice throughout the week after missing the Bills’ opener versus Houston. James Cook’s receiving role didn’t change much with Johnson out. Instead, Ray Davis and Frank Gore Jr. picked up a few extra routes each. Neither player has much fantasy appeal, even if Johnson remains out.

Johnson, the only offensive player on the Bills injury report ahead of Thursday’s clash with the Lions, could be trending in the right direction for Week 2. If he does return, he’ll take passing-game work off Frank Gore Jr.'s plate.