Elijah

Moore

The Bills needed to shake things up after an embarrassing loss to the Dolphins last week, and they’re doing so in a big way with their receiver room. Josh Palmer is back after being out with a groin injury since Week 6, and he figures to take over much of Keon Coleman’s work which makes him a worthwhile stash in fantasy leagues. Mecole Hardman was also signed to the active roster on Saturday night and will likely serve primarily as a return man. The Bills also elevated Gabe Davis from the practice squad, so he will return to the Bills lineup after missing the start of the year while recovering from ACL surgery. The Bills other inactives are WR Elijah Moore, LB Shaq Thompson, CB Ja’Marcus Ingram, DT Phidarian Mathis, OL Chase Lundt and TE Dalton Kincaid.

Palmer did not log a practice this week and has been ruled out ahead of Friday’s practice. The veteran receiver has logged two or fewer catches in all but one game this season and wasn’t going to be on the fantasy radar in Week 8 even with six teams on bye. His replacements, Elijah Moore and/or Curtis Samuel (ribs) can also be left out of lineups.

The Bills involved Moore far more often this week than they did in Week 1. It may have been that the Jets play more man coverage than the Ravens, but it also could be that the Bills were up early and wanted to get Moore some yardage against his old team. The big catch was on a busted coverage, and the rushing touchdown was a reverse when the Bills were already up 23-3, so we wouldn’t read too much into his fantasy point total.

He’ll be a WR3/FLEX dart in Week 1 against the Ravens, though recent reports from beats that have him leading the team in targets should be of interest to fantasy managers. Coleman got in a full practice on Friday for the first time all week. Elijah Moore (personal) was also cleared off the injury report for Buffalo.

Updating a previous item, Moore missed practice today for personal reasons. Unless it is a serious issue, he will likely be on the field for the Bills’ Sunday Night Football game against the Ravens. He does not need to be in re-draft lineups, though.

Although Moore is just 25 years old, his erratic participation and performances have seemingly been ever-present for fantasy managers in football’s modern era. We do not know why he was sidelined today, but the official injury report should clarify things. He dealt with an ambiguous leg issue in July. Moore is not worth rostering at this time.

It’s too early to say if this injury will put Shakir’s Week 1 availability in question, but it’s something for fantasy managers to keep in mind. Shakir suffered a similar injury to the same ankle in Week 4 of last season but only ended up missing one game as a result. Shakir had a career year in 2024, going for 76-821-4 on 100 targets and finishing as the WR37 in fantasy points per game in PPR leagues. He played 72.9 percent of his snaps from the slot last season, per PFF, and will likely be replaced by Elijah Moore during his absence.

It’s reportedly just soreness. Moore is theoretically competing with Curtis Samuel, who is also currently sidelined by a hamstring injury, for the No. 4 wide receiver role. At 25 years old, Moore can still refine his skill set and contribute meaningfully to a top-tier Bills roster.

“For me, it’s more like my whole career, I haven’t really had too many great opportunities with a stable quarterback the entire season,” said Moore on Monday. The four-year veteran wide receiver signed a one-year contract with the Bills on May 1. “Being blessed with the opportunity to, God willing, have 17 for the entire season with the MVP at that, a top-tier caliber player, top-tier caliber team, top-tier caliber coaches, putting you in position -- I feel like it would just be the best position that I’ve been put in yet.” During his career spent with the Jets and Browns, Moore has played with 10 different starting quarterbacks. He’s totaled 200 career receptions and ten total touchdowns.

For his career, Moore has returned two punts and one kickoff, but the former second-round pick said he “would love” to return more kicks next season. Moore signed a one-year deal with the Bills last week after spending the previous two seasons with the Browns. While he can provide solid depth to the Bills’ receiver room (61-539-1 in 2024), it goes without saying that Moore may need to find additional ways to contribute in 2025. Moore returned kicks as a freshman at Ole Miss in 2018, averaging a meager 18.5 yards per return. Under the new rules, it’s possible he could find more success in the role if he’s able to win the job in camp.