The Buffalo Bills have several dangerous pass catchers in 2026, but one stands out as the favorite to lead the team in receiving.
The Buffalo Bills don't have the same type of receiving hierarchy they had a few years ago.
When Stefon Diggs was in Buffalo, there was little debate over who would finish the season as the team's leading receiver. The offense revolved around him, and Josh Allen rarely lacked a go-to option when the Bills needed a big play.
That's hasn't been the case for the last two seasons.
Buffalo now enters the 2026 season with multiple players who have a legitimate chance to lead the team in receiving yards. Some bring proven production, while others offer the potential for a breakout season. It should make for one of the more interesting storylines to follow over the next several months.
As far as who will lead the way, there are three players who stand out above the rest.
The obvious first choice is DJ Moore.
The Bills didn't acquire Moore to be a complementary piece. They traded for him because they wanted to add a proven No. 1 receiver to an offense that was already among the league's best. Moore has topped 1,000 receiving yards four times during his career despite spending much of it catching passes from inconsistent quarterback play. Now he'll be paired with Allen, the best quarterback he's ever played with.
If Moore stays healthy for 17 games, he's the safest pick to lead Buffalo in receiving.
Then there's Khalil Shakir.
Shakir has become one of Allen's most trusted targets over the last few seasons, and that chemistry shouldn't be overlooked. He's shown he can catch anything from almost anywhere, and pickup extra yards after the fact. In 2025, he was fourth in the NFL among receivers in YAC. Even with Moore joining the offense, Shakir will continue to see plenty of opportunities, particularly working from the slot and on intermediate routes where Allen has repeatedly looked his way in key situations.
It's not all that difficult to envision another highly productive season from Shakir, especially if Moore draws additional attention from opposing defenses. It could even lead to his first 1,000-yard season.
Finally, we come to the most intriguing candidate in Dalton Kincaid.
Kincaid enters the season healthy after injuries limited his production a year ago, and the Bills have never hidden how highly they think of the former first-round pick. If he develops into the reliable middle-of-the-field weapon Buffalo envisioned when drafting him, his production could take a significant jump. Buffalo has never had a 1,000-yard tight end. Kincaid has the skills to be the first.
When it's all said and done, however, it's hard not to take Moore to lead the team.
That isn't meant as a slight to Shakir or Kincaid. Both should play major roles in Buffalo's offense, and there will likely be weeks when either one finishes as Allen's favorite target.
But Moore gives the Bills something they haven't consistently had since Diggs was at his best: a receiver who has already proven he can carry a passing game over the course of an entire season. If he could consistently post 1,000-yard seasons in the situations he's been in in the past, it's reasonable to believe his first season with Allen could be one of the most productive of his career.
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