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RB Ray Davis, BUF (1 Viewer)

Must handcuff for Cook owners?
In my deep keeper league I am fighting myself on this one between Davis to cuff with Cook and Braelon Allen to handcuff with Hall. I suppose I can try for both, but I hate to use too many spots on handcuffs. If I go the "no handcuff" route I have my sights set on Jaylen Wright.
I would roster Wright over both
 
Ray Davis will be the future starter in Buffalo, it just won't be this year. Cook's contract is up after the 2025 season and if Ray Davis is ready to handle the load, Buffalo will probably let Cook walk as opposed to give Cook a lucrative contract.

You may even see Ray Davis take over as the starter in the 2H of next season to reflect this, but it's just how it is with RB. Nobody wants to pay anyone at the position and you're an ACL tear away from never seeing a full load ever again. Buffalo is a smart franchise and they're already looking forward towards 2-3 years down the road with what they have in Davis, imo.
 
Ray Davis will be the future starter in Buffalo, it just won't be this year. Cook's contract is up after the 2025 season and if Ray Davis is ready to handle the load, Buffalo will probably let Cook walk as opposed to give Cook a lucrative contract.

You may even see Ray Davis take over as the starter in the 2H of next season to reflect this, but it's just how it is with RB. Nobody wants to pay anyone at the position and you're an ACL year away from never seeing a full load ever again. Buffalo is a smart franchise and they're already looking forward towards 2-3 years down the road with what they have in Davis, imo.
…..but Davis will be 40 in a couple of years
 
Ray Davis will be the future starter in Buffalo, it just won't be this year. Cook's contract is up after the 2025 season and if Ray Davis is ready to handle the load, Buffalo will probably let Cook walk as opposed to give Cook a lucrative contract.

You may even see Ray Davis take over as the starter in the 2H of next season to reflect this, but it's just how it is with RB. Nobody wants to pay anyone at the position and you're an ACL year away from never seeing a full load ever again. Buffalo is a smart franchise and they're already looking forward towards 2-3 years down the road with what they have in Davis, imo.
…..but Davis will be 40 in a couple of years
Better late then never, Most RBs have such short window times for productive careers. May not matter if he peaks at 26 as opposed to 23.

Read a report today that Cook has had an uneven camp will make a very good play but then follow it up with a drop or fumble.

Davis has a chance to eat into Cooks carried if has consistency. Though it needs mentioning that Davis had ball security issues in the first half of camp. Don’t know if that is still happening.
 
I'm sorry, but while Ray Davis is a great story, he's no James Cook. Not even close, IMHO.

Handcuff (at least IMHO) = a Player who will almost be able to exactly replicate the statistical output of the Player he subs in for. Little to no drop-off in production.

Davis isn't that guy, and nothing I've studied leads me to believe he's even featured back material.

A great example of a high-end 'handcuff', from back in the day would be the Chiefs situation with Priest Holmes/Larry Johnson.

Modern-day, there are only a couple: Lions (Monty/Gibbs), Falcons (BRob/Allgeier), Steelers (Harris/Warren) - that's it, IMHO. Guys I've seen do it. Although there are a few speculative situations that might bear fruit.

What is it with people's fascination with pedestrian RB? It's like people want something to be true so much that they ignore reality.

Well, I'm a realist, and that's what it seems like, to me. YMMV.
 
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I'm sorry, but while Ray Davis is a great story, he's no James Cook. Not even close, IMHO.

Handcuff (at least IMHO) = a Player who will almost be able to exactly replicate the statistical output of the Player he subs in for. Little to no drop-off in production.

Davis isn't that guy, and nothing I've studied leads me to believe he's even featured back material.

A great example of a high-end 'handcuff', from back in the day would be the Chiefs situation with Priest Holmes/Larry Johnson.

Modern-day, there are only a couple: Lions (Monty/Gibbs), Falcons (BRob/Allgeier), Steelers (Harris/Warren) - that's it, IMHO. Guys I've seen do it. Although there are a few speculative situations that might bear fruit.

What is it with people's fascination with pedestrian RB? It's like people want something to be true so much that they ignore reality.

Well, I'm a realist, and that's what it seems like, to me. YMMV.
Davis looked explosive last year, both between the tackles and in the passing game. Not sure it will translate to the NFL, but you’re probably being too critical of him.
 
I'm sorry, but while Ray Davis is a great story, he's no James Cook. Not even close, IMHO.

Handcuff (at least IMHO) = a Player who will almost be able to exactly replicate the statistical output of the Player he subs in for. Little to no drop-off in production.

Davis isn't that guy, and nothing I've studied leads me to believe he's even featured back material.

A great example of a high-end 'handcuff', from back in the day would be the Chiefs situation with Priest Holmes/Larry Johnson.

Modern-day, there are only a couple: Lions (Monty/Gibbs), Falcons (BRob/Allgeier), Steelers (Harris/Warren) - that's it, IMHO. Guys I've seen do it. Although there are a few speculative situations that might bear fruit.

What is it with people's fascination with pedestrian RB? It's like people want something to be true so much that they ignore reality.

Well, I'm a realist, and that's what it seems like, to me. YMMV.
Davis looked explosive last year, both between the tackles and in the passing game. Not sure it will translate to the NFL, but you’re probably being too critical of him.

I'm with you on this. Ray Davis is very good. It's just that James Cook is one of the fastest players at the RB position. He's a proven home run hitter.

But for instance, I would argue that Ray Davis has way more upside as a pass blocker. It's a pretty good complement, but James Cook just has special burst that it's hard to compete with.


He's going to hit Free Agency at 25-26 years old and he's going to be very expensive for the Bills to keep. The difference between the two won't be worth the contract Cook will get from somewhere else, imo. If we're ranking rushing ability, James Cook is a 4.5/5 and Ray Davis is a 3.75/5 who can be had cheaper and do some little things better than James Cook but not enough to overcome the talent gap until money becomes a factor.
 
Zero percent chance I say this because I own Ray Davis and recently traded James Cook. Well 95% chance that has nothing to do with this. He looked way quicker then I had him pegged for.
 
I'm sorry, but while Ray Davis is a great story, he's no James Cook. Not even close, IMHO.

Handcuff (at least IMHO) = a Player who will almost be able to exactly replicate the statistical output of the Player he subs in for. Little to no drop-off in production.

Davis isn't that guy, and nothing I've studied leads me to believe he's even featured back material.

A great example of a high-end 'handcuff', from back in the day would be the Chiefs situation with Priest Holmes/Larry Johnson.

Modern-day, there are only a couple: Lions (Monty/Gibbs), Falcons (BRob/Allgeier), Steelers (Harris/Warren) - that's it, IMHO. Guys I've seen do it. Although there are a few speculative situations that might bear fruit.

What is it with people's fascination with pedestrian RB? It's like people want something to be true so much that they ignore reality.

Well, I'm a realist, and that's what it seems like, to me. YMMV.
Read a report that Cook has had a up and down camp. One good play followed the next by a drop or fumble.
Those were concerns from last year as well
 
I'm sorry, but while Ray Davis is a great story, he's no James Cook. Not even close, IMHO.

Handcuff (at least IMHO) = a Player who will almost be able to exactly replicate the statistical output of the Player he subs in for. Little to no drop-off in production.

Davis isn't that guy, and nothing I've studied leads me to believe he's even featured back material.

A great example of a high-end 'handcuff', from back in the day would be the Chiefs situation with Priest Holmes/Larry Johnson.

Modern-day, there are only a couple: Lions (Monty/Gibbs), Falcons (BRob/Allgeier), Steelers (Harris/Warren) - that's it, IMHO. Guys I've seen do it. Although there are a few speculative situations that might bear fruit.

What is it with people's fascination with pedestrian RB? It's like people want something to be true so much that they ignore reality.

Well, I'm a realist, and that's what it seems like, to me. YMMV.
Not saying you’re wrong but why were the Bills fascinated with this pedestrian RB in the 4th rd of the draft?
 
Fascinated by might be pretty optimistic phrasing for many 4th-Round (Day 3) picks, much less one from one of the most lowly-regarded RB classes in recent draft history, but obviously their brass saw something in him worthy of using a draft pick to acquire, even if it was one that bears little fruit over time (majority of Day 3/Round 4-7 picks don't make much of a mark in the NFL).

IMHO Davis is a speculative dart throw, with limited athleticism and skills. Not dynamic at all, with little to no upside. Not special. Role-player, at best, who will enjoy a cup of coffee in the NFL, which is more than most college RB's have the opportunity to do, so good for him.

Tremendous story, though. One has to pull for a guy who's been through what he's been through...

...but at the end of my day, I have a significant amount of money invested in FF, for the purpose of making a profit, and Davis (along with 14-15 other RB in this class), isn't an investment I feel confident in making.

Obviously, I'm no fortune-teller, but from the resources I've been utilizing to evaluate this Draft class, IMHO, less than a half-dozen of the 20 2024 drafted RB's are going to be relevant in three years' time, and only one (Corum) is going to make a significant impact in the NFL.

Of course, that's just one man's opinion, and it's a pretty insignificant opinion in the big scheme of things, but it's mine.

Really appreciate how courteously you inquired, btw. Thank you.
 
Fascinated by might be pretty optimistic phrasing for many 4th-Round (Day 3) picks, much less one from one of the most lowly-regarded RB classes in recent draft history, but obviously their brass saw something in him worthy of using a draft pick to acquire, even if it was one that bears little fruit over time (majority of Day 3/Round 4-7 picks don't make much of a mark in the NFL).

IMHO Davis is a speculative dart throw, with limited athleticism and skills. Not dynamic at all, with little to no upside. Not special. Role-player, at best, who will enjoy a cup of coffee in the NFL, which is more than most college RB's have the opportunity to do, so good for him.

Tremendous story, though. One has to pull for a guy who's been through what he's been through...

...but at the end of my day, I have a significant amount of money invested in FF, for the purpose of making a profit, and Davis (along with 14-15 other RB in this class), isn't an investment I feel confident in making.

Obviously, I'm no fortune-teller, but from the resources I've been utilizing to evaluate this Draft class, IMHO, less than a half-dozen of the 20 2024 drafted RB's are going to be relevant in three years' time, and only one (Corum) is going to make a significant impact in the NFL.

Of course, that's just one man's opinion, and it's a pretty insignificant opinion in the big scheme of things, but it's mine.

Really appreciate how courteously you inquired, btw. Thank you.
A well thought out reply. We all know that front offices aren’t infallible when it comes to the NFL draft, see my 49ers and their recent use of 3rd round picks on RBs as an example. I understand why most us Fantasy players fall in love with guys like this (with a mixture of high scoring offense, not much depth at the position, and NFL draft capitol typically being above what we actually know of the prospect) so I appreciate hearing differing opinions from the members of this board.

For my part I am mainly a Dynasty player and in one league it only cost me a 4th rd pick at the time to secure him. So no risk, all reward there but I am in one redraft league this year and he is a guy that I’ve thought about selecting once we reach the teens.
 
@32BeatWriters
“Rookie running back Ray Davis had an impressive evening rushing the ball against the Steelers, and you can tell the team has been happy with his progress throughout training camp. But even with the team liking what they’re getting out of Davis, they still have veteran Ty Johnson…Based on what practice has shown, it’s likely closer to a 2a, 2b situation with Johnson and Davis rather than one being the clear-as-day backup to Cook — at least for now.”
 
His UK highlights are outstanding. Football speed, vision, dangerous in 1-on-1, good pass blocker, great receiver.

I'm looking forward to seeing how he does in real games. Not saying he's a comp, but Frank Gore Sr had a 6.52 RAS Score.

 
Hasn't surpassed 30 combined yards in any game this year... even though the Bills have put up 30+ in every game.

We still holding or time to cut bait?
 
Hasn't surpassed 30 combined yards in any game this year... even though the Bills have put up 30+ in every game.

We still holding or time to cut bait?
strong hold in dynasty…i would also hold in redraft if you have the room, especially since he’s a Cook injury away from a prominent role (even with Johnson there).
 
PFF grade of 72.3, so not trash. Ty Johnson does look fast, but Davis might be better as a everydown back. I'm holding in redraft for now in a big league.
 
Last chance to get Ray Davis. If Cook misses another practice with his toe/foot injury, people will raid the WW in your redraft leagues. The injury could be something or it could be nothing, but now’s the time to make a move.
 
Last chance to get Ray Davis. If Cook misses another practice with his toe/foot injury, people will raid the WW in your redraft leagues. The injury could be something or it could be nothing, but now’s the time to make a move.
Yeah, just picked up T. Tracy too, but Singletary "trending in the right direction."

Going to wait on it, but if Singletary practices tmrw and Cook doesn't I'm dropping Tracy for Davis. Although it may be too late.
 
Certainly with bye weeks you need to get whoever you can, but this is pretty much a one week rental. And they play the Jets so I would temper expectations.
 
Is Ray Davis even the backup?

Sounds like one works 1st and 2nd down and the other is 3rd/pass-catching

Johnson has got more snaps in every game then Ray in all but one game, which was week 2, and last week Davis only got two snaps to Johnson's 21.

Ray Davis was targeted on both snaps he played last week.

Suffice to say I don't think it's as clear cut as Johnson just playing third downs and Ray coming in to give Cook a breather and that's certainly not how they were utilized last week.
 
Droppped Rhamondre for Davis- if Cook is out, I'd rather have Davis for one week than constantly debate whether or not RS will do anything. There's enough names on the wire that I'm not too worried about replacing him if Cook is healthy and Davis does nothing. With Allen's recent performance, I'm expecting the pendulum to swing toward the run game, and Davis is the guy to own if Cook can't go IMO. Looks better than Ty outside of passing downs.
 
Droppped Rhamondre for Davis- if Cook is out, I'd rather have Davis for one week than constantly debate whether or not RS will do anything. There's enough names on the wire that I'm not too worried about replacing him if Cook is healthy and Davis does nothing. With Allen's recent performance, I'm expecting the pendulum to swing toward the run game, and Davis is the guy to own if Cook can't go IMO. Looks better than Ty outside of passing downs.
I would not do that unless you are desperate for a win.

Think there is a decent chance he's back next week and D. Maye sparks the offense enough to get his value off the floor.
 
My expectations are low for yardage but hoping he can snake a short TD.

Even if it doesn't pan out tonight, not getting ahold of Tank Bigsby probably gave me the best-case Ontario for a W.
 
Ha! Poor guy. 15-yard rush to the 1 results in Josh Allen sneak for a TD; but wait, there's a 5-yard formaton penalty on Buffalo. Davis with a 5-yard rush to the 1, resulting in another sneak for a Josh Allen TD.
 
I'm sorry, but while Ray Davis is a great story, he's no James Cook. Not even close, IMHO.

Handcuff (at least IMHO) = a Player who will almost be able to exactly replicate the statistical output of the Player he subs in for. Little to no drop-off in production.

Davis isn't that guy, and nothing I've studied leads me to believe he's even featured back material.

A great example of a high-end 'handcuff', from back in the day would be the Chiefs situation with Priest Holmes/Larry Johnson.

Modern-day, there are only a couple: Lions (Monty/Gibbs), Falcons (BRob/Allgeier), Steelers (Harris/Warren) - that's it, IMHO. Guys I've seen do it. Although there are a few speculative situations that might bear fruit.

What is it with people's fascination with pedestrian RB? It's like people want something to be true so much that they ignore reality.

Well, I'm a realist, and that's what it seems like, to me. YMMV.
Davis looked explosive last year, both between the tackles and in the passing game. Not sure it will translate to the NFL, but you’re probably being too critical of him.
:popcorn:
 
buckle up....this kid has had a wild path to the NFL...

from Dane Brugler's The Beast:

9. RAY DAVIS | Kentucky 5'083" | 211 lbs. | 5th Yr SR San Francisco, Calif. (Blair) 11/11/1999 (age 24.92) #1

BACKGROUND:
Re’Mahn “Ray” Davis, who has 14 siblings, was born in the Hayes Valley area of San Francisco. His biological parents spent multiple stretches in prison, so Davis lived in homes of extended family and friends and in homeless shelters during his childhood. Davis entered the foster care system and became a ward of the state at age 8. At age 8, he lived for two months in the basement of General Hospital in San Francisco. He then moved into the apartment of one of his teachers for a period before living with his grandmother. Sports — specifically, basketball and football — served as an escape.

Davis enrolled at Lincoln High School as a freshman in 2014 and played running back and safety. He also played basketball, and a teammate’s parents (Lora Banks and Greg Ley) offered him assistance and later became his guardians. Banks helped Davis apply to Trinity-Pawling School, a boarding school in eastern New York known for its athletic programs. BobbyLayne note - that's a $70K /year prep school, but they have endowed athletic scholarships. Around the same time, Davis’ father (Raymond Sr.) was released from jail. He rebuilt his life and his relationship with his then 16-year-old son, and he eventually was awarded full custody of Ray. After the court system approved him to leave the state, Davis enrolled at Trinity-Pawling as a sophomore in 2015. After two seasons as a complementary running back and defensive back, he became the starting quarterback as a senior (and added a pair of interceptions). He also lettered in basketball and baseball at Trinity Pawling and joined the track team as a junior, setting personal bests of 11.17 seconds in the 100 meters and 18 feet, 11.5 inches in the long jump. Davis started to get recruited by FBS programs, but he was one credit shy of NCAA eligibility and enrolled at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. , for a postgraduate year. Playing as a quarterback and cornerback, Davis was named 2018 Conference Player of the Year with 1,698 rushing yards on 168 carries (10.1 average) and 35 total touchdowns in eight games.

A three-star recruit, Davis was the No. 116 running back in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 41 recruit in New Jersey. He picked up a few FCS offers (Albany andTowson among them), then Purdue offered him after he attended a camp in June 2018. However, that fell offer through, and Davis instead committed to Temple over Kent State and Navy. He enrolled early and was the No. 10 recruit in the Owls’ 2019 class. After leading Temple in rushing in 2019 and 2020, he transferred to Vanderbilt for a chance to play in the SEC. (Banks and Ley also moved to Nashville to further support him.) After two seasons with the Commodores, Davis entered the transfer portal again. Considered a package deal with transfer quarterback Devin Leary, Davis (and Leary) transferred to Kentucky for the 2023 season.

Raymond Sr. was a high school star in football, basketball, baseball and track and was inducted into the Galileo High School Hall of Fame (he holds the school record for most touchdowns in a season, one spot ahead of O.J. Simpson). Raymond Sr. signed with San Jose State in 2002 to play foot ball and played at College of Marin.

Ray Davis graduated with his degree in communications from Vanderbilt (December 2022) and earned his certificate in business and economics from Kentucky (December 2023). He accepted his invitation to the 2024 Senior Bowl.

YEAR (GP/GS) CAR YDS AVG TD REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2019: (12/6) 193 936 4.8 8 15 181 12.1 2 Temple; Led team in rushing; Enrolled in January 2019; Sat out spring (eligibility issues)
2020: (4/4) 78 308 3.9 1 12 62 5.2 0 Temple; Led team in rushing; Pandemic-shortened season; Missed three games (injury)
2021: (3/3) 44 211 4.8 1 5 27 5.4 0 Vanderbilt; Missed final nine games (toe); Enrolled in January 2021
2022: (12/12) 232 1,042 4.5 5 29 169 5.8 3 Vanderbilt; Led team in rushing
2023: (13/13) 199 1,129 5.7 14 33 323 9.8 7 Kentucky; Second team All-SEC; Led team in rushing and rec. TDs; Enrolled in January 2023
Total: (44/38) 746 3,626 4.9 29 94 762 8.1 12

HT WT HAND ARM WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE 5083 211 8 7/8 30 1/4 72 1/4 4.52 2.67 1.62 35 9’11” 4.51 - - (no 3-cone or bench press — choice)
PRO DAY 5082 208 9 1/4 30 1/4 72 3/4 - - - - - 4.33 - 21 (shuttle, bench, drills only — choice)

STRENGTHS: Short with a muscular, athletic build … uses his change-of-direction skills to make abrupt lateral cuts away from tackling angles … quick, controlled feet at the line to cut back or accelerate through holes with urgency … has the vision to play a few moves ahead and string cuts together at all three levels (12 runs of 20-plus yards in 2023) … will drops his pads and attack contact with balance and authority … displays natural receiving traits with quick eyes/hands to handle fastballs …seven receiving touchdowns in 2023 led Kentucky and ranked No. 1 among all FBS running backs … fumbled only twice over his three seasons in the SEC … remarkable story of determination and overcoming adverse circumstance while staying positive (NFL scout: “He chose betterness over bitterness. Talk about being dealt a rough hand. He overcame and did it with a smile.”) … set the Kentucky single -season record with 21 total touchdowns, which ranked No. 3 in the FBS.

WEAKNESSES: Lacks ideal top-end speed and doesn’t have a pull-away gear … instinctive first move is to work laterally, which will get him in trouble versus NFL defenses … always in attack mode, but he could use more patience to allow blocks/lanes to develop … below-average setup, technique and sustain as a pass blocker (see his 2023 South Carolina tape) … missed the final nine games of his junior season at Vanderbilt after tearing a ligament in his toe (September 2021), which required surgery … doesn’t offer any value on special teams, either as a returner or on coverages … will turn 25 during his rookie season … accumulated 840 offensive touches in his college career and faces wear-and-tear questions.

SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Kentucky, Davis was the main offensive weapon in offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s gap-focused scheme. His journey is worthy of a Hollywood script, but he is much more than just a feel-good story and played his best football in 2023, becoming the first college football player ever to rush for1,000-plus yards at three different FBS programs (Temple, Vanderbilt, Kentucky). With his quick reads and lateral agility, Davis will juke defenders out of their cleats using dynamic plant-and-go cuts (his performance against Florida in 2023 might be the best running back tape in this class). Though he needs to remedy his issues in pass protection, he is a dependable pass catcher and recorded at least one reception in all 25 games he played the past two seasons.

Overall, Davis has racked up a lot of miles and lacks explosive long speed, but his vision, cutting skills and competitive toughness are translatable traits. Although he doesn’t offer much on special teams, he can be a productive rotational back for an NFL offense.

GRADE: 4th Round

edit - sorry if I missed any format cleanup, the Beast is a hot mess to copy pasta from (but a treasure trove of nuggets, so it's worth it)
 
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Mondo troll move to see Ty Johnson come out as the starter and break a run on his first carry, only for Davis to get 20+ touches including all the RB targets. Bailed me out along with many others tonight!
 

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