Bills Injuries Hit Before Rams MNF: Survivor Pick Read

Bills banged up heading into Monday night

Buffalo's injury report took a hit ahead of its Week 5 road trip to Los Angeles. The Bills ruled out defensive tackle Ed Oliver and wide receiver Joshua Palmer. Receiver DJ Moore returned to practice in a noncontact jersey and will carry a questionable tag into "Monday Night Football" against the Rams.

The survivor-pick impact

Start with the matchup itself: this isn't a Bills game to lean on. Los Angeles is a 3-point home favorite in Week 5, meaning Vegas sees Buffalo as the road underdog. Add the ruled-out Oliver along the defensive line and a diminished receiving corps with Palmer out and Moore uncertain, and BUF is firmly off the survivor board for Week 5. You don't take a short road dog in a NFL survivor pool, especially one dealing with injuries on both sides of the ball.

The better Buffalo window comes after this game. In Week 6 the Bills are home-side favorites at a 6.5-point line, and Week 8 brings a home date as 2.5-point favorites. Both are plausible survivor spots — if the roster gets healthier and you haven't already burned Buffalo. For now, let the Rams game play out and check how Oliver, Palmer and Moore trend before committing. If you're mapping out your survivor pick for the weeks ahead, pencil in Week 6 as the earliest clean Buffalo opportunity, not this Monday.