Bills vs. Patriots Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy FanDuel, DraftKings
The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots will kick off Week 13 with a critical AFC East showdown on Thursday. Both teams are in the playoff hunt and still have a shot at a division title.
The Bills are tied with the Miami Dolphins atop the division, while the Patriots are in last place but sport a 6-5 record. This marks the first meeting of the two rivals since last year's blowout Buffalo win in the playoffs.
However, fantasy managers—especially those in daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests—may care less about the postseason implications and more about how individual players perform.
This should be a tightly contested game with strong DFS performances coming from both teams. Only the best will deliver a DFS winner, though.
Below, you'll find some advice to help fill out DraftKings or FanDuel lineups on Thursday night.
Anchor Lineups with Bills QB Josh Allen
When picking between Josh Allen and Mac Jones ($9,400 at DraftKings, $13,500 at FanDuel) to start in your lineups, the choice may not be as easy as it appears at first glance.
Jones has played well as of late and is coming off of a stellar 382-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Minnesota Vikings, but he does not provide the rushing upside that Allen can.
The Buffalo QB ($12.2K at DraftKings, $17.5K at FanDuel) has rushed for more than 70 yards in three of his last four games while scoring four times on the ground in that span. His ability to attack the defense with his legs adds a ton of value to an already high floor. He has thrown for fewer than 200 yards only once this season.
The Patriots defense, meanwhile, has been fairly pedestrian against opposing quarterbacks, allowing the 17th-most fantasy points to the position, according to FantasyPros.
The one potential concern here is that Buffalo has been dealing with an unidentified illness in the locker room this week.
"It's out there, right?" Bills coach Sean McDermott told reporters. "Families have it and these guys are human beings, so they pick it up sometimes, too."
It's a story worth tracking before kickoff, but key players such as Allen can be expected to suit up for this critical contest.
Consider Rhamondre Stevenson a Must-Start
Managers will probably want to play Devin Singletary ($7K at DraftKings, $12K at FanDuel) in one of the RB slots, given his status as Buffalo's bell-cow back.
However, managers looking to gamble on a potential value back such as rookie James Cook ($3.6K at DraftKings, $7.5K at FanDuel) should feel free to do so.
Cook hasn't seen extensive action this season, but if the game turns into a lopsided one, he could deliver great value. Two weeks ago, the 23-year-old racked up 86 yards on just 11 carries against the Cleveland Browns. In a Week 2 blowout win over the Tennessee Titans, he also saw 11 carries for 53 yards.
Just make sure that Patriots ball-carrier Rhamondre Stevenson ($10.4K at DraftKings, $14K at FanDuel) is in the starting lineup. New England's leading rusher and receptions leader (50 catches) should see another significant workload against the Bills.
Complementary back Damien Harris is expected to miss the game with a thigh injury.
This is a decent matchup for Stevenson, as the Bills have allowed the 19th-most fantasy points to opposing backs, according to FantasyPros. In comparison, the Patriots have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season.
Doubling up on Buffalo ball-carriers simply wouldn't make sense here.
Nelson Agholor Could be Fine Value Pick
Bills wideouts Stefon Diggs ($11.6K at DraftKings, $15K at FanDuel) and Gabe Davis ($8K at DraftKings, $11K at FanDuel) should lead many lineups due to their importance to the passing attack.
Top Patriots receiver Jakobi Meyers ($7.2K at DraftKings, $11.5K at FanDuel) is another quality starting option.
Managers looking to save a few fantasy bucks at receiver or in the flex should consider New England wideout Nelson Agholor ($4.8K at DraftKings, $6.5K at FanDuel).
The 29-year-old (310 yards, two TDs) hasn't been a major piece of the Patriots' offensive puzzle this season, but he has had the occasional big game. Last week, he caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown.
With top corner Tre'Davious White getting back into the lineup for Buffalo—though he only saw limited snaps in Week 12—Meyers may not be as open as New England would like. This could lead to extra targets for Agholor against a good-not-great Bills secondary.
Though it's worth noting that Buffalo has played the bulk of its season without White, the Bills have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season, according to FantasyPros.
The recommendation here is to consider Agholor a top flex option while leaving running backs out of the flex equation.
Eligibility restrictions apply. See DraftKings.com for details.
Eligibility restrictions apply. See FanDuel.com for details.