Mitchell Trubisky remains Buffalo’s backup to Josh Allen after beating out Mike White for 2025, but FanDuel still pegged him as the 28th-best NFL backup. The Bills hope Allen stays healthy, keeping Trubisky on the fringes of fantasy relevance while White watches from the wings. In a league-wide QB2 environment, the ranking underscores how precarious a path exists for any backup to deliver consistent fantasy value.

Across the NFL, teams prize a reliable reserve, yet the reality is that meaningful fantasy upside rarely comes from the average QB2. For fantasy managers, the Bills’ depth chart signals minimal upside unless Allen misses time; Trubisky’s ceiling remains capped, with White framed as a speculative contingency in deeper leagues or DFS when Allen rests or is limited.

Roster cuts spark nostalgia-driven moves with real fantasy impact: Mike White to the Jets, Cam Akers to the Texans, K.J. Osborn back to Minnesota, Mike Hilton back to Cincinnati, and Marcus Epps to Philadelphia. These reunions carve clearer depth roles and create streaming options in Week 1.

The piece also flags Thielen, Pickett, Fields and Mixon as potential Week 1 ripple effects, reminding fantasy managers to weigh fit and opportunity as rosters settle.

Buffalo closed its 2025 preseason with a 23-19 win over Tampa Bay, fielding mostly backups but still revealing roster intrigue. Shane Buechele went the distance, finishing 25-of-30 for 278 yards and a TD as he contends for a fourth quarterback role behind Mike White. Tyrell Shavers flashed with a one-handed TD, boosting his roster chances, while Zach Davidson handled punting duties in an emergency scenario after Brad Robbins was sidelined by illness. Tyler Bass returned to action with three makes (37, 39, 37) but a 26-yard miss lingered; Cole Bishop continued to grow at safety as Bills watchers weigh final cuts.

Buffalo’s 38-0 preseason loss to Chicago exposed a night of rough execution and unsettled depth for the Bills. They couldn’t win the line of scrimmage, drew penalties, and failed to compete against Chicago’s starters and reserves. Sean McDermott stressed fundamentals and the need to evaluate the roster, particularly the young players getting extended looks as starters rested.

Cole Bishop worked on a rep-count while Joshua Palmer returned to build endurance, but the offense still looked out of sync. Jordan Hancock left with a shoulder issue as Buffalo rolled through its depth, with Deone Walker, Landon Jackson, and TJ Sanders logging meaningful snaps. Chicago capitalized on the moment, underscoring that preseason threads often reveal where teams must improve most before Week 1.

Moving forward, the Bills must translate joint-practice momentum into cleaner execution, less penalties, and sharper trenches. Depth evaluation becomes real when starters sit, and Buffalo will use practice reps this week to sharpen the run game, pass protection, and overall tackling while monitoring injuries and the growth of its youth core.