Monday Rewind: Sammy Watkins, plug and play

I'm not from the area, but I'm something of a Buffalo sympathizer. I picked the Bills to win a couple of Super Bowls back in the day, and I still think the Jim Kelly Era is misunderstood historically. I like the people there, respect the values. I like the wings. I know all the words to Buffalo Stance.

And let's also establish that I didn't rank Sammy Watkins very optimistically this summer. A rookie wideout tied to a spotty quarterback and a head coach no one seems sure on, that sounded like a recipe for trouble. He's on zero of my teams, and I was never close to picking him.

Now we're two weeks into the season, and I'd like a mulligan on Watkins. The NFL is like that.

Watkins was playing through obvious pain during Sunday's victory over Miami - he's dealing with a rib injury - but that didn't stop him from dominating the contest. Watkins collected eight catches for 117 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and two of the missed connections could have easily been touchdowns. There hasn't been much of a learning curve for the rookie.

I rewatched the Miami-Buffalo tape to get a sense of where the Bills offense is right now. I wanted to see if the less-than-ideal setup would hold Watkins (and C.J. Spiller) back going forward. I wanted to take the temperature of the scheme, the quarterback, the play caller.

I came away more impressed than I thought I would be. While EJ Manuel remains a work in progress, he made good decisions most of the time. He badly missed Watkins on what should have been an easy slant touchdown inside the red area, but for the most part his throws were accurate (and when he missed, he usually missed to the ideal spot).

Getting open wasn't a problem for Watkins, which speaks to the game plan and the kid's polished skills. Often you'll see a hot-shot rookie enter the NFL with tons of athleticism but mediocre technical skill - sometimes these guys can win consistently in college through sheer physical ability, and it hinders their development as pros. This doesn't look like a problem for Watkins at all. I've been impressed with his route running, his hands, his understanding of the position. The overt skills catch your eyes first, but he's doing a lot of little things right, too. Someone coached him well at some point, and he's taken to that coaching.

The Shuffle Up series debuts on Wednesday, and I suspect I'll have Watkins solidly in the WR3 grouping when things roll out. It's not all sunshine and lollipops, of course. The Buffalo scheme remains a run-focused offense, and the solid Buffalo defense should keep most games competitive (and the backs relevant). The Bills probably know all about Manuel's limitations right now, and they don't want to get into shootouts. In one sense it's a shame we didn't see Watkins go to a fun, wide-open passing team.

Nonetheless, this looks like a player who's going to be good anywhere. If you landed Watkins at a nice price, take a celebratory spin in the comments.

As for the rest of the Buffalo offense:

-- Manuel was a quarterback on the spot entering the year - the Kyle Orton signing put him on notice - but I'm starting to think he'll keep the job all year, barring injury. This team can probably be a playoff contender with a game-manager at quarterback, and Manuel has played conservatively but effectively in the two wins thus far. No one in a standard format needs to bother with Manuel, but he's a respectable depth option in Jumbo Flex and 2-QB leagues.

-- I've been a Fred Jackson fan for years, but he certainly looks like a 33-year-old running back on many of his carries. I'm not calling for a cliff season, but I think this will be his last fantasy-relevant year, and he'll probably be less effective as the season goes along. Now is not the ideal time to sell him, but I'd look to quietly move him after his next strong game.

-- I'd like to see more creativity with the plays called for Spiller, and I don't like seeing him on special teams, no matter that he took a kick back in Week 2. That said, he's outscored Jackson in both fantasy weeks, and Spiller certainly is a lot healthier than he was last year. He still looks capable of going the distance on any play, even the inside runs. Buffalo's offense line has been solid through two games, as well.

-- Kickers don't get much run here and with good reason, but Dan Carpenter would be a nice addition for your team. The Bills aren't giving Manuel much responsibility in the red zone, and the Buffalo defense is a plus unit. Carpenter's probably going to attempt more than 40 field goals this year.

Some other notes from around the league.

-- I want to like Kirk Cousins, I really do. He's obviously a prepared player and someone in command of the Washington offense. I just wish he had a little more athletic ability. The comparison I can't get past, and it's a compliment and a knock all in one, is Ryan Fitzpatrick.

-- One reason I didn't want to join the Rob Gronkowski circus this summer: the depth at the position. Look at some of the tight ends who lit up the scoreboard in Week 2: Antonio Gates, Delanie Walker, Niles Paul. Larry Donnell was solid again. Travis Kelce is a stud capable of busting out at any minute (help us, Andy).

I recognize the Jimmy Graham and Julius Thomas public will quickly rise up, defend their signature picks. I'm fine with that. The problem I have with Gronkowski is that he's a stud on layaway - we don't know when his dominating ways might return, but we're obliged to play him every week.

I realize any strategy works if you pick the right players, but tight end nonetheless is one of the easiest positions to stream in most formats. Unlike running back and receiver, tight ends usually aren't fought over as depth options. The Graham or Thomas owner might ignore the position completely, save for bye weeks. Look at some of the names two graphs ahead - did any of those players cause a bidding war in your auction or weekly FAAB?

Maybe Gronkowski will start tearing up the league soon and make these words look foolish. We all know his upside. But given all the surgeries here, and the recency of his last major procedure, I don't regret avoiding him in the summer. There are several logical ways to attack this position, be it through the first tier, the middle tier (Greg Olsen seems to play well every week, doesn't he?), or the discount rack.

-- It was encouraging to see Rueben Randle score for the Giants, engage a little bit, but I wonder what he's done in meetings and practice during his first two seasons. Has he shown tangible improvement as a route runner? Will he ever build trust with his veteran quarterback? No one questions Randle's physical gifts, but you have to wonder if he really wants to maximize them.

-- Week 2 was a frustrating one when it came to reviews. I can't understand why the Martellus Bennett catch was overruled; if a replay doesn't show indisputable visual evidence, the initial call is supposed to stand. And it's embarrassing to see the league botching the Percy Harvin touchdown, as he clearly stepped out of bounds; any sideline score in particular is screaming for careful review.