Fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em, and lineup advice for the Bills vs. Patriots on Sunday in Week 7 (2023). Detailed player breakdowns and matchups analysis.
Buffalo laid an egg against New York but got lucky with a poor audible from Tyrod Taylor to end the first half and then a late stop in the fourth quarter. They've had a couple of disappointing weeks in a row, not to mention the Week 1 debacle. The offense has been inconsistent, but the one player you can count on is Stefon Diggs, who just keeps crushing it. We elected to include Gabe Davis in this section because he's been playing really well and as we referenced above, New England tends to take away your best option, which is undoubtedly Diggs. Davis gets a pass for last week with a shot to redeem himself in Week 7 as a top-36 receiver.
Stefon Diggs doesn’t break stride on this throw from Josh Allen. Very aesthetically pleasing#Bills#BillsMafia#GoBills
Allen may not deserve to be in this section after his performance in Week 6, but the limited number of quality quarterbacks combined with the Patriots' ability to defend the run thrusts him back into the top 10. It's bound to be a heated divisional battle, but it's typically one he shows out in.
Matchups We Hate
Patriots Passing Attack
The injuries to the receiving corps allowed Kendrick Bourne and the running backs to combine for 19 of Mac Jones's 33 targets (58%). Hunter Henry hauled in just one pass for seven yards. Buffalo's defense is still tough but there'll be enough volume to support one option from this group as a flex player, which currently looks like Bourne. Outside of that, it's best not to linger here.
UPDATE: Henry, Douglas, and Smith-Schuster are all listed as questionable for Sunday. If they're all active, then even Bourne would be a bench.
Without Kincaid active, Dawson Knox finished second in targets with six. It shows they still want to place an emphasis on the tight end position, which bodes well for Kincaid who will return to action this week. He seemed to be building some momentum before the injury but has yet to really solidify a strong role. The matchup is below average, so he remains a streamer.
Finally, Stevenson has come back to relevance. (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson reference for those who don't know). Moving on, it was a relief to see Stevenson come through in a plus matchup after so many uninspiring fantasy finishes. There are several positive takeaways, starting with his RB8 performance. Moreover, he caught a season-high five passes and scored for the first time since Week 1. What's also reassuring is he did it with Ezekiel Elliott taking away eight touches, some of which occurred when Stevenson was on the sideline. The Patriots appear to have figured out that game planning around him is their best shot at success. The Bills have been more susceptible to the run, earning him a spot in the top 24. Elliott is also a desperation flex option given the bye weeks.
Not throwing a single pass to Cook is high on the list of poor decisions made by Allen and the coaching staff. They also kept going away from their ground game in general, which averaged 4.4 yards per carry on the night. Cook himself was over five. There was a lot more Latavius Murray, although that was partially due to the injury to Damien Harris. Murray and Cook each played 49% of the snaps, but there's no question Cook is the more talented option. The Patriots remain a difficult run defense, so he'll need those receptions to bounce back, but as the starter on this offense, he's closer to the top 24 than a flex option.
One thing #Bills second year RB James Cook has done very well since his rookie season is finding open gaps.
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