Disclosed examples to insert buffers in dataflow graphs include: a backedge filter to remove a backedge between a first node and a second node of a dataflow graph, the first node representing a first operation of the dataflow graph, the second node representing a second operation of the dataflow graph; a latency calculator to determine a critical path latency of a critical path of the dataflow graph that includes the first node and the second node, the critical path having a longer latency to completion relative to a second path that terminates at the second node; a latency comparator to compare the critical path latency to a latency sum of a buffer latency and a second path latency, the second path latency corresponding to the second path; and a buffer allocator to insert one or more buffers in the second path based on the comparison performed by the latency comparator.