Projecting Bills' New Receiver as Ultimate Fantasy Football Sleeper Pick

After signing as a free agent in March, Buffalo Bills' WR Curtis Samuel is projected to out-perform his fantasy football draft position.

Dec 17, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Curtis Samuel (4) scores a touchdown ahead of Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Making the right sleeper pick can go a long way toward a fantasy football championship run, and the Buffalo Bills have a prime candidate to potentially meet that need this season.

Free-agent signee Curtis Samuel may not be a Top 50 wide receiver on anyone's fantasy draft board, but Sports Illustrated analyst Michael Fabiano placed the versatile weapon in his all-sleepers starting lineup.

Aiming "to predict which players could outplay their average draft positions," Fabiano built a team solely consisting of his "favorite sleeper candidates (no rookies)." He slotted Samuel as a starter in the FLEX role. The two wide receiver spots are occupied by Detroit's Jameson Williams and Seattle's Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

"Samuel might not be a huge fantasy name, but he is certainly in the sleeper conversation. While he hasn’t put up huge totals on a seasonal basis, the veteran also hasn’t been in such a positive position. With a chance to record career target totals while catching passes from a superstar quarterback in Allen, Samuel has a legitimate shot to make some noise," said Fabiano.

It's important to recognize that Samuel has yet to play with a quarterback of Josh Allen's caliber. His best statistical receiving season (851 yards) came with Teddy Bridgewater as the QB1 in Carolina. During what was, coincidentally Joe Brady's lone season as Panthers' offensive coordinator, Samuel totaled 1,051 yards from scrimmage over 15 games in 2020.

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Over the last two seasons, Samuel made 33 appearances for the Commanders. He caught nearly 69 percent of targets for 1,269 yards through the air and totaled 10 touchdowns (8 rec, 2 rush) over that span.

As Buffalo attempts to compensate for the departures of WR1 Stefon Diggs and WR2 Gabe Davis, Samuel should be targeted 100+ times in the passing game. With Brady set for his first full season as Bills' offensive play caller, there's belief that the scheme, coupled with top-tier QB play, will maximize Samuel's potential.