Rookie Season Review
The second-year WR Keon Coleman is coming off a good, not great, rookie season where he totaled 29 receptions for 556 yards and 4 touchdowns. Many believed he was poised to take over as the Buffalo Bills WR with the departure of elite playmaker Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Houston Texans in the 2024 offseason, now on the New England Patriots ahead of the 2025 season.
Keon Coleman found himself in a crowded WR room, which had newly signed WR Curtis Samuel, a solid NFL veteran, but it was none other than Khalil Shakir taking the spotlight and producing as the Bills’ #1 option. While Shakir had a phenomenal season for his standards, 76 receptions for 821 yards and 4 touchdowns, he is far from being a true #1 in the NFL.
Keon Coleman Aims at Larger Role
The Bills went on to add slot WR Joshua Palmer from the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason, and while Curtis Samuel remains with the team, it’s fair to say he also wants a bigger role than the limited play he got last season compared to the previous seasons in his career. This leaves Keon Coleman once again finding himself battling with proven NFL vets for a major role in this offense.
The additions of Samuel in 24’ and especially Palmer in 25’ have asserted, if not reasserted, that Keon Coleman needed to give himself an edge this offseason to not only prove to himself, but to the coaches in Buffalo that he is serious about becoming the face of the Bills’ receiving room. To prove he’s committed, according to Sports Illustrated writer Randy Gurzi, Keon Coleman has gained and is turning heads at OTAs with his new physical form.
Randy Gurzi of Sports Illustrated wrote in an article about Coleman, “Coleman arrived at OTAs noticeably bulked up compared to his rookie season.” https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/buffalo-bills-wr-keon-coleman-turns-heads-with-ripped-physique-at-otas
Slot WR Joshua Palmer is most likely to replace Mack Hollins‘ role in the offense as the slot WR. Hollins, who signed with the Bills last offseason, was only on a one-year deal and has since joined the New England Patriots for the upcoming season. That being said, Coleman has a clear path to being WR2 for the Bills and should have more playing time, especially after the Bills chose not to bring back veteran WR Amari Cooper, whom the Bills acquired at the trade deadline last season.
Coleman, if he truly wants it, needs to be an impact player immediately at the start of the season. If he only replicates his rookie season or only shows minor improvement. The bills can easily look to add another WR in the 2026 NFL draft. Coleman knows this year is make it or break it, with the added muscle, discipline, and poise to be great. Look for him to steal the spotlight this season and become the next big thing in Buffalo.
Keon Coleman’s 2025 Fantasy Football Value & Expectations
In 13 games, Coleman finished WR71 in Standard PPR leagues. Not that impressive considering the expectations last year in fantasy football were that he would be the clear-cut number one option in Buffalo. While he still has potential, the value he had as a rookie has fallen drastically. As it stands, Coleman is currently sitting at 134th in ADP on Sleeper, which places him with Chargers rookie WR Tre Harris, Colts Veteran WR Michael Pittman, and Texans rookie WR Jayden Higgins. Of those four, I would personally target Coleman in dynasty as he is a cheap trade piece currently. In redraft leagues it is hard to pass on the value of having a trustworthy vet in Michael Pittman Jr.
My advice, don’t draft Coleman in redraft, trade for him if the price is right in dynasty, he could have a Drake London type of breakout this season. London was WR31 as a rookie and followed that up with being WR37 and, most recently, WR5 in PPR. While Coleman was WR71, He possesses the ability to at least be a top 20 WR for years to come, providing great value as a future flex option on contending teams.
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