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After a roller coaster of a season so far, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman had his biggest effort of 2024 in Week 7, catching four of seven targets for 125 yards, good for a ridiculous 31.3 yards per catch and 17.9 yards per target. Despite the addition of former Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, Coleman led the team in receiving yards.
The former Florida State Seminole more than doubled his previous career-high yardage of 51, which he attained in Weeks 1 and 4. He also logged 16.5 PPR fantasy points, the biggest total of his career, despite not catching a touchdown. His big plays helped propel his team to a 34-10 blowout victory over the Tennessee Titans.
So, was Keon Coleman's big game legit or a fluke? What will the rest of his season look like? Let's find out!
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Why Did Keon Coleman Have a Huge Game?
The first big factor that helped Coleman was the addition of Cooper. Buffalo was sorely lacking an alpha No. 1 receiver, and the former Cleveland Brown brought that presence with him immediately. He's been one of the best pass-catchers in the NFL for years now, and he still has the ability to lead a WR corps effectively.
The former Florida State star is a fantastic athlete, great receiver, and highly intelligent player. He's been the perfect acquisition for the Bills. Coleman hasn't excelled as the No. 1 target, and a rookie thrust into that role typically has a hard time succeeding. There weren't great weapons across the board before Cooper's arrival.
I asked Keon Coleman how Amari Cooper can help the #Bills offense.
"Same thing like adding another person with money in your household. Help you pay everything. Help everything out. Help everybody else get open and just bring more threat to the offense."#BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/u0TrUhJLmd
— Andy Young (@AndyYoungTV) October 17, 2024
The offense had been wildly inconsistent through the first five weeks, and the loss to the Houston Texans in Week 5 likely signaled to ownership that a new piece needed to be added to the offense to make it more dynamic. That's exactly what happened.
Keon Coleman is pretty good after the catch!!#GoBills #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/PeZzZ0TRja
— Dave Myers BIB (@DaveMyersBIB) October 20, 2024
A clear No. 2 role for the rookie is perfect for him to develop and make contributions early. He's much better off facing opposing No. 2 outside cornerbacks and slot defensive backs. Getting him in space will allow him to use his shiftiness and yards-after-catch ability to maximum effectiveness as well.
Will Keon Coleman Continue to Dominate?
The addition of Cooper certainly helps Coleman's case, but it will largely depend on passing volume. While the rookie has a very high ceiling, especially with quarterback Josh Allen, he's not a prototypical WR1 of a team, and it remains to be seen how the targets will be divvied up.
Taron Johnson after Amari Cooper's #Bills debut:
"Having him on our team I feel like is dangerous."#BillsMafia @WGRZ pic.twitter.com/yfHZAZIxB0
— Jonathan Acosta (@_jacosta) October 20, 2024
Allen is a prolific passer, and it's possible offensive coordinator Joe Brady allows him to let it rip more. Buffalo has been a more run-heavy offense under Brady than Ken Dorsey, the previous offensive coordinator and part of that could have been the injury that former Bills WR Stefon Diggs was playing through toward the end of 2023.
Not every team will be as easy to dunk on as the Titans, who are now 1-5. But the quarterback situation in Buffalo is about as good as it gets. Seven targets are a solid workload as well, but four catches leading to 125 yards won't happen every week. The best friend of a wide receiver is a good quarterback, but the second-best friend is consistent targets.
Coleman's combination of skills, quarterback pairing, and the newly arrived help on the offense means it's certainly possible for him to put together an excellent season. He'll have more breathing room to learn and grow as the season goes along. Expect some dominant games in the future.
His game was legit but expect plenty of variability in his weekly scoring.
What Will the Rest of Keon Coleman's Season Look Like?
Coleman may continue to struggle with inconsistency as he refines his NFL game. After seeing monster rookie seasons from receivers like Ja'Marr Chase and Puka Nacua, many have adjusted their expectations of first-year pass-catchers and expect consistency and high production at the same time.
Geez this is very bad from #BillsMafia rookie WR Keon Coleman !
You know he can’t separate and doesn’t have finesse routes … so you pray he makes physical grabs like this BBUUUTT HE DIDNT
— 𝕵𝖔𝖊𝖞𝕵𝖊𝖙𝖘 (@JoeyJetsX) August 18, 2024
He isn't without his issues, but Coleman will demand less defensive attention and will have more breathing room to work with. Mistakes like these are ultimately correctable.
He'll likely continue the season as the No. 2 outside option to Cooper, with fellow wide receiver Khalil Shakir mainly playing in the slot and operating as a reliable chain-mover. Coleman is a big play threat and a huge target past the 20-yard line. His role brings plenty of boom-or-bust potential, as big plays could become his bread and butter.
Should I Pick Up or Start Keon Coleman in Week 8?
He should not be on waivers in any leagues. His quarterback is more than capable of supporting two wide receivers given his historical passing output, and if the man wearing jersey No. 0 can live up to expectations, he'll at least be a solid WR3/FLEX option the rest of the way.
keon coleman *almost* gets one #BillsMafia
the play was overturned pic.twitter.com/hClRgQbMiP
— sad.Ops 🫥™ (@based_anderson) October 20, 2024
A few of Coleman's biggest assets are his strength, physicality, and ability to make contested catches. He often looked like a basketball player going up for rebounds (which he did in college), and Allen specifically wanted to draft Coleman for these features. The signal-caller trusts his cannon of an arm and ability to fit the ball into tight spaces.
Damn. Where’d FSU find this Keon Coleman guy???? Certainly not another P5 school with a head coach with a $95 million contract, right? pic.twitter.com/2yjSCiOKZi
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 4, 2023
While he didn't catch a touchdown this week, he was very close, and his dominance in the red zone in college is an asset that the Bills would like to take advantage of and translate to the NFL. A role with a lot of end-zone targets is a very valuable one for fantasy football.
It doesn't hurt that he shows a good grasp of the offense. Coleman helped Cooper run the right route after an audible, leading to a touchdown. Understanding the offense is an underrated feature that great players tend to have. Details like this may seem insignificant, but any edge you can get in the NFL should be exploited to the fullest.
Bills WR Keon Coleman had to demonstrate to Amari Cooper what route to run because he didn't know the play before catching his first TD in Buffalo 😂 pic.twitter.com/rGSMphRct7
— NFL Memes (@NFL_Memes) October 20, 2024
Coleman will play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8. They're around the middle of the pack in PPR fantasy points allowed to opposing wide receivers. After last week's performance and target volume, it would be safe to start Coleman as a WR3/FLEX.
It's worth it to use a waiver spot to make a claim for him or spend around 20% of FAAB to swipe him up. One of the benefits of having rookies on your roster in fantasy is that many of them tend to play better in the second half of the season.
