The Buffalo Bills are choosing health over heat in the final preseason test, keeping Josh Allen on the bench for the Tampa Bay showdown. That decision isn’t a retreat from victory, it’s a plan to maximize the regular season’s impact, especially given Allen’s MVP-winning 2023 form. Buffalo will still roll out starters in other spots, testing depth at safety and wide receiver as it finalizes the Week 1 roster. Cole Bishop will be tested as the likely starter opposite Taylor Rapp, with the safety room competing to lock down continuity for Buffalo’s back end.

The receiver picture remains unsettled behind the top trio of Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer, with Curtis Samuel, Elijah Moore, Laviska Shenault, and others vying for the remaining two to three roles. Samuel’s footing has been inconsistent due to injuries, while Shakir’s durability and Palmer’s veteran savvy push the competition toward a two- or three-way rotation. Allen, meanwhile, has already built starter-time chemistry in joint practices with Chicago, reducing preseason reps but preserving the connection expected to drive the offense once the season begins.

Injuries have clouded the position battles, and Buffalo is navigating cutdowns with an eye toward Week 1. Gabe Davis, a former Bills receiver, showed up for a visit as he seeks a new fit, and Tre’Davious White’s practice absence adds another layer of pivots to the defensive unit. The Bills’ approach balances protecting Allen with testing the rest of the unit, aiming to preserve the core while maximizing upside in the regular season. Fantasy managers should watch how the WR depth chart stabilizes and how the safety rotation shapes target distribution and game plans in September.