Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
Spread: Bills -9.0
Implied Total: Bills (24.5) vs. Patriots (15.5)
Pace: Bills (29th) vs. Patriots (2nd)
Bills Off. DVOA: 57.2% Pass (3rd), -4.1% Rush (12th)
Patriots Off. DVOA: -9.9% Pass (30th), -12.1% Rush (23rd)
Bills Def. DVOA: -8.0% Pass (8th), -15.6% Rush (12th)
Patriots Def. DVOA: 13.7% Pass (23rd), -19.5% Rush (8th)
Matchups We Love
Bills WRs
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.
Josh Allen (QB, BUF)
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.
Rhamondre Stevenson (RB, NE)
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.
James Cook (RB, BUF)
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.
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