Buffalo Bills Tap Chan Gailey as New Head Coach, NFL Fantasy Football Rankings

Another season has passed in Buffalo, and for the seventh-straight year, the Bills' offense finished in the bottom eight. For all the hype last offseason brought with the signing of Terrell Owens and the return of the no huddle offense , this team forgot to bring an experienced offensive line to the dance.

With this disappointment came the firing of the Bills' coaching staff by owner Ralph Wilson. Now, Wilson has turned the club over to an experienced offensive mind in Chan Gailey to head the team and turn the Bills' ship around.

If Gailey is going to be successful in his turnaround of the offense, he will need an improved performance from the his patchwork o-line from last year.

A Problem from the Start

Last summer I used the spreadsheet you will see below as an example of what the Bills offensive line looked like in 2008 and what the projected line would be in 2009:

Fantasy Info- The Buffalo Bills Offensive Line Change

This projection remained intact to start the season, except for one change a week before the regular schedule started. That turnover came at the most crucial position on the offensive line when the Bills waived their projected left tackle Langston Walker and promoted first-time start Demetrius Bell.

Not only were all five linemen either in their first year as starters or at new positions, but they also failed to stay healthy.

Veteran lineman Brad Butler suffered a knee injury in Week Two against the Buccaneers and was done for the season.

In the middle of the year, Bell and rookie right guard Eric Wood also suffered season-ending injuries. Wood's injury was the most gruesome and unfortunate of all, as he sustained a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula.

In Wood's case, it will be interesting to see just when he will be able to play again and how effective he can play. Since he was the Bills No. 1 pick in 2009, it would be a crushing blow to see him fail to live up to the potential he once had.

Fortunately, the Bills did pick up veteran right guard Richie Incognito (cut from the Rams after an outburst during a game), and he finished up the final three weeks solid. I'm not sure if Incognito is signed for this year, but it would be wise for the Bills to keep him around.

2010 Fantasy Football Outlook

Coach Gailey tends to do a decent job in assessing what his personnel does well on offense and how to script a scheme that will compliment their abilities. With that in mind, it is reasonable to think that offensive players on this team could provide some fantasy football value at a very cheap price.

If (big if) the Bills offensive line can stay healthy and play at a decent level, then expect their defense to be worthy of starting against weak opponents.

This ball-hawking unit should be strong again, and would be even better if the team acquires a solid run-stuffer at defensive tackle.

2010 NFL Fantasy Football Player Rankings writer Sean E. Douglas: fantasy-info.com