Buffalo Bills sit Taron Johnson in Week 2 as Tre'Davious White returns, bolstering a secondary facing a run-heavy Jets attack. Buffalo could lean into three linebackers to counter the ground game, while Ed Oliver is ruled out and Zion Logue and Keonta Jenkins prepare for season debuts via practice-squad elevations. Curtis Samuel is a healthy scratch again, with Landon Jackson and Chase Lundt inactive alongside Shaq Thompson and Jordan Hancock. Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET on CBS.

Taron Johnson is inactive for Week 2, thinning Buffalo's nickel defense as they host the Jets. His quad issue surfaced after the Ravens game, and Cam Lewis steps in.

Ed Oliver also sits, leaving Buffalo's front with less punch. Lewis, a UB product and frequent postseason sub, has logged major defensive snaps and now must handle a bigger role in coverage and run support.

This matchup tests Buffalo's depth in a divisional clash; Johnson's absence puts added emphasis on Lewis and on how the Bills dial up schemes to minimize Jets' aerial attack.

Fantasy note: Lewis could be a speculative add if Johnson misses time; Oliver's absence also raises the stakes for Buffalo's interior pressure.

Buffalo's comeback win over Baltimore tops the early 2025 season, as Josh Allen unleashes 394 yards and four total touchdowns to spark the Bills in a thriller against the Ravens. A panel of 11 Around the NFL staff crowned Bills-Ravens No. 1 on the initial top-games ballot, with Pittsburgh’s win over the Jets at No. 2 and Falcons–Buccaneers, Seahawks–49ers, and Eagles–Cowboys rounding out the top five.

Injury notes to Buffalo—Taron Johnson and James Cook—loom as fantasy-linked risk as Buffalo paces the pack. The Ravens matchup, plus the rest of the top five, sets the tone for early-season fantasy pivots and DFS stacks as teams chase big-number wins.

Buffalo’s Week 2 path hinges on health. Taron Johnson and Shaq Thompson will miss practice midweek, testing Buffalo’s slot coverage while Tre'Davious White inches back into action. If Johnson sits, Cam Lewis and Ja'Marcus Ingram will handle the load in the slot; Ingram previously thrived as a Week 2 slot option, snagging two INTs vs Tua Tagovailoa last season. Buffalo signs a veteran interior defender after a rough opener, signaling a shift to stabilize the run and pressure in pass-heavy matchups. Josh Allen remains the primary fantasy engine, while Baltimore’s rushing-and-air attack draws interest from fantasy managers monitoring defensive tweaks. The Week 2 clash will reveal how Buffalo’s secondary and front-seven adjustments land for fantasy standings.

On the other side, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens bring a high-upside offense that can pressure Buffalo’s new interior look. The Dolphins’ side of Week 2 looms as a barometer for Tua Tagovailoa’s supporting cast, highlighted by Ja’Marcus Ingram’s slot intel. White’s practice return could lift Buffalo’s secondary ceiling, while the Bills’ midseason-defensive addition aims to slow Baltimore’s explosive plays. In short: the Bills’ health, slot depth, and interior upgrade shape a pivotal fantasy matchup for Week 2.

Buffalo’s 2024 away-game bracket crystallizes into a tight narrative: James Cook’s Lions TD vs Derrick Henry’s Ravens highlight Buffalo’s evolving rushing dynamic, while Taron Johnson’s Colts interception vs Ja’Marcus Ingram’s Dolphins pick-six frame the defense’s big-play upside. The AFC Championship heartbreak and the Josh Allen Patriots finale anchor the emotional arc, underscoring Buffalo’s climb from playoff hopeful to division frontrunner. Fantasy readers get a clear read: Cook could anchor a growing Bills backfield; Henry’s veteran burst remains a weekly ceiling floor in a committee; Johnson offers IDP upside in favorable matchups, and Ingram plus Geno Smith’s storyline provides broader context for how Buffalo’s rivals approach the season. Expect Week 1 implications, Week-by-Week pivots, and a blueprint for streaming rationales on both sides of the ball.

In fantasy terms, the bracket suggests target players who can leverage structure: Cook’s workload projection, Henry’s efficiency in split carries, and Johnson’s playmaking upside as Buffalo’s defense accelerates. Allen’s playoff-tested floor paired with Smith’s narrative arc among division rivals adds layers for both DFS and season-long planning. The piece reads like a brand-new preview: a road-map built from memorable plays that hints at real-season production, matchup-driven value, and a disciplined approach to rostering Bills pieces who can deliver streaming value and weekly upside.