FANTASY FOOTBALL NFL PLAYERS

Posted: 2/9/2013 12:00am et

The Buffalo Bills are not expected to work on a contract extension with RB C.J. Spiller this offseason because he still has two years left on his current contract. The team likely will look to sign Spiller next offseason to his contract.

Huddle Up: This is a bit of a risky move on the Bills' part; right now Spiller hasn't put up the numbers to command a big-time contract, but the potential is certainly there. It will be interesting to see what kind of leverage Spiller can build up this season as the expected feature back in Buffalo.

Posted: 12/29/2012 4:58pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller is averaging 6.48 yards per carry this season, which is 0.8 more than the single-season yards-per-carry record that former NFL RB Jim Brown averaged in 1963.

Huddle Up: Spiller is closing with a decent matchup, too, facing a Jets' defense that allows 4.4 yards per attempt and the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing RBs.

Posted: 12/28/2012 1:55pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) practiced all week and is probable for Week 17.

Huddle Up: Spiller has a pretty good matchup against the Jets this week. Spiller is a full go for your Week 17 matchups.

Posted: 12/26/2012 5:03pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) fully participated in practice Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Huddle Up: Good news for Spiller owners. The Bills head into Week 17 with revenge on their minds, even if there is nothing to play for. Spiller should have a fine day.

Posted: 12/13/2012 12:03pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB C.J. Spiller will receive the majority of carries with RB Fred Jackson out of the lineup. "C.J. will take almost all of the snaps until he gets tired," Gailey said.

Huddle Up: Again, Spiller fantasy owners have to be wondering where those carries were last week. But if Spiller owners managed to survive the seven carries Gailey gave him last week, they should enjoy his heavy workload this week.

Posted: 12/12/2012 7:27pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) practiced in full Wednesday, Dec. 12.

Huddle Up: Even against the Seahawks, Spiller is a must-start this week with Fred Jackson out. In the previous 3 games that Jackson has missed this season, Spiller has averaged 119.3 total yards and has scored 3 TDs.

Posted: 12/10/2012 12:04pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller said following Week 14 he would like to receive more offensive touches. Spiller had just seven carries in the game. "Of course I want to touch the ball more, but there's no need for me to sit around and mope and groan and do all that stuff. That's high school. That's childish. That's not what I'm all about," Spiller said. "Is the frustration there? Yeah, deep down inside your gut as a competitor, yeah it's there, but there's nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to sit around and pout." Head coach Chan Gailey said defenses are stacking the box against Spiller and not as much against RB Fred Jackson and, "we tried not to run against a loaded box."

Huddle Up: So the logic here is that we'd rather use inferior players against one defensive scheme rather than our best back against a defense ready to stop him? Ask the Vikings for some suggestions about using your strength against stacked defenses. With Fred Jackson injured there's hope Spiller sees more touches this week, but Chan Gailey seems stubborn enough to keep giving carries to Tashard Choice.

Posted: 11/26/2012 6:58pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB C.J. Spiller will remain the starting running back and will receive the majority of playing time.

Huddle Up: No real suprise here, as the torch has been passed to the younger more effective Spiller.

Posted: 11/15/2012 11:46pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller rushed for 91 yards on 22 carries and gained 39 more on 3 receptions in Thursday night's 19-14 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Huddle Up: Spiller was the man in the Bills' backfield with Fred Jackson (concussion) inactive and was the team's biggest playmaker with a 20-yard run and a 24-yard reception. He didn't find the end zone, with the Bills scoring on a punt return and kicking 5 field goals, but he did rack up 130 yards from scrimmage.

Posted: 11/14/2012 10:47am et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB C.J. Spiller could have as many as 30 carries in Week 11 if the team needs him. "He did it last year. He can do that. That is not an issue. He did it last year," Gailey said. "If he needs to run it 20 to 25 times a game for us to win, or 30 times a game for us to win, that is what we will do. We are not afraid to do that. We do not think he is a fragile player or anything like that. We think he is a strong player that can carry it as many times as we need to carry it to win."

Huddle Up: Collectively, Buffalo running backs rank third at the position in fantasy points; that's with Spiller and Fred Jackson splitting the workload. Spiller has yet to top 15 carries in a game this season--both Jackson and Tashard Choice have had larger workloads. But fantasy owners can salivate at the thought of Spiller housing all the touches as Jackson recovers from the concussion that will keep him out of action this week.

Posted: 11/13/2012 12:38pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said Monday, Nov. 12, that RB C.J. Spiller will get 'lots of opportunities' in the Week 11 game Thursday, Nov. 15, against the Miami Dolphins. RB Fred Jackson (concussion) will be sidelined.

Huddle Up: Spiller doesn't have a great matchup against the Dolphins, but having the Bills' RB workload all to himself is what his fantasy owners have been waiting for. Expect some good-to-great numbers Thursday night.

Posted: 10/3/2012 1:59pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) said his shoulder is feeling better than it did last week and hopes to be able to play in Week 5.

Huddle Up: That is all fine and dandy until you realize the Bills face the 49ers—who have not given up a rushing touchdown to a running back—on the road this week. Neither Spiller nor Fred Jackson are particularly good fantasy starts this week, especially considering they are both still banged up.

Posted: 9/28/2012 3:24pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) was limited in practice Friday, Sept. 28, and is questionable for Week 4.

Huddle Up: That Spiller was even able to practice after that shoulder injury last week was a surprise, so getting him in any capacity will be a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately, we do not know how much he will play if he does get on the field. It would be best to stay away this week until we see how healthy he is and how much playing time Fred Jackson will take away.

Posted: 9/28/2012 3:55am et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller was limited in practice Thursday, Sept. 27.

Huddle Up: Don't bank on Spiller playing this week, but the fact he's back at practice in any form is a positive sign that his absence from the lineup will be brief.

Posted: 9/26/2012 12:54pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) could receive some practice time later this week. Gailey believes Spiller has a good chance to play Week 5.

Huddle Up: Considering Fred Jackson's return this week, this makes Tashard Choice obsolete before he even got a chance to make an impact. This is welcome news for Spiller owners, but he will likely be shunted back into a time share, which will mitigate his fantasy value so long as Jackson can stay on the field.

Posted: 9/24/2012 3:21pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller (shoulder) suffered a sprained AC joint in Week 3 and is expected to miss one to two weeks.

Huddle Up: Not as bad as it could have been, but a real momentum killer for Spiller and his owners all the same.

Posted: 9/23/2012 6:47pm et

Updating previous reports, Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller did not return to the team's Week 3 game after suffering a shoulder injury in the first quarter. He underwent X- rays and does not have a broken collarbone.

Huddle Up: Spiller's run as fantasy's top RB this season was put on hold when he went down hard on his left shoulder while being tackled on a first-quarter screen pass. Prior to the injury, Spiller had 58 yards and a TD on 6 touches. Third-string RB Tashard Choice, who 20 rushes for 91 yards, will be a popular waiver-wire target this week, but Week 1 starter Fred Jackson is aiming for a Week 4 return.

Posted: 9/17/2012 11:16am et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller is the first player to average at least 10 yards per carry through the first two games (minimum 25 attempts) since former NFL RB Jim Brown in 1963.

Huddle Up: Spiller was a fantasy stud late last year after Fred Jackson went down with an injury, and with Jackson out again Spiller is capitalizing. Given Spiller's success, Jackson isn't likely to return to the same majority share of the workload he held previously--good news for Spiller, who should maintain at least some productivity even after Jackson returns to action.

Posted: 9/10/2012 12:24pm et

Buffalo Bills RB C.J. Spiller said he will be ready for a bigger workload going forward if RB Fred Jackson is unable to play in Week 2. "I think I've prepared myself," Spiller said. "I had a great offseason, a full, true NFL offseason. Of course it hurts to have our leader go down, especially the leader in our running back room. But we always preach that the next man has to step up. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully we get 22 back as soon as possible."

Huddle Up: Spiller was productive last season after Jackson left the lineup due to injury and you can safely assume he'll be put in that role again should Fred's knee injury cause him to miss significant time. However, when both backs are healthy Jackson is clearly the lead dog so don't overpay for Spiller thinking he'll maintain his productivity once Jackson returns to the lineup.

Posted: 8/24/2012 6:37pm et

Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey said RB C.J. Spiller has gone a good job during pass protection drills in training camp. Spiller could see playing time off passing downs this season because of his improved blocking skills.

Huddle Up: This is good news if you want to take a chance on Spiller in PPR leagues, and it dings Fred Jackson's value a bit. Bear in mind that Jackson was leading the league in fantasy scoring before going down with a broken leg last season. More playing time for Spiller will eat into Jackson's production even if he returns to his 2011 form.

Posted: 6/12/2012 1:52am et

Buffalo Bills RB Fred Jackson is expected to be the featured back for the team on first and second downs this upcoming season, while RB C.J. Spiller can mix in on special packages and on passing downs. He can also line up in the backfield with Jackson on certain packages and try to catch defenses off guard with his speed.

Huddle Up: The Bills can say that now but when the season rolls around it will be hard to keep Spiller off the field. With Fred Jackson out over the last six weeks of the season, Spiller averaged 18 touches for 105 total yards per game. He was the sixth-ranked fantasy RB in that stretch. Of course, Jackson was a top-four fantasy RB when he went down in November. This could be a classic RBBC.