Who Should I Start? Curtis Samuel or Gabe Davis

Friday, September 5, 1:53 PM

Wide receiver Curtis Samuel was a top-50 fantasy WR from 2022-23 with the Washington Commanders, but he fell off a cliff in his first year with the Buffalo Bills last season. After dealing with a nagging toe injury and managing just 31 catches, 253 receiving yards, and one touchdown in 14 games, Samuel will open 2025 against a high-end Baltimore Ravens defense on Sunday. Samuel is worth avoiding this week, especially after a hamstring issue shelved him for most of the summer. The 29-year-old is not on the injury report heading into Week 1, and considering his respectable track record, Samuel could get back on the fantasy radar if he starts this season looking more like he did in Washington. He came around a bit at the end of last season with two TD grabs in three playoff games, including a 55-yarder in a wild-card round win over the Denver Broncos.

Friday, September 5, 1:49 PM

The Buffalo Bills reunited with veteran wide receiver Gabe Davis (knee) earlier this week, but he'll open the season on the practice squad injured list. Davis is still on the mend from a torn left meniscus he suffered last season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now 26 years old, Davis spent 2020-23 with the Bills, averaging approximately 41 catches, 683 yards, and seven touchdowns per season during that run. He parlayed his Buffalo production into a three-year, $39 million deal with the Jaguars in free agency, but they released him after he fell flat in 2024. Davis caught just 20 of 42 targets for 239 yards and two scores in 10 games with the Jags before the meniscus injury ended his season in mid-November. The Bills are starting this season with Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, Elijah Moore, Curtis Samuel, and Tyrell Shavers as their receivers. It's conceivable that Davis could replace someone from the back end of that group once he recovers.