3 NFL Storylines to Watch in Week 13
Big Day for Zay?
As surprise playoff contenders, the Buffalo Bills need rookie wide receiver Zay Jones to come through in a big way this week. Trade deadline acquisition Kelvin Benjamin (knee) appears unlikely to play as Buffalo hosts the New England Patriots, who are 8.5-point road favorites. They also carry an implied team total of 28.50, one of the highest on the slate.
Over the last few weeks, Jones has become a bigger factor in the Bills' passing attack. Since Week 7, he's averaged nearly 8 targets per game and is coming off a season-high 10 looks in Week 12. In that contest, Jones caught his second career touchdown against Kansas City Chiefs, but only reeled in a total of 3 balls for 33 yards in an otherwise inefficient outing.
Oddly enough, he comes at significant discount in daily fantasy circles. His price tag on FanDuel is a mere $4,500. That's cheaper than teammate Deonte Thompson! Oh, and it appears that Jones can levitate, so that helps.
According to numberFire's scheduled-adjusted metrics, New England is a bottom-10 defense when it comes to defending the pass. However, it may come down to which cornerback the Patriots use to defend Jones. The game charting done by PlayerProfiler shows Stephon Gilmore has been a bright spot for the Patriots, as he ranks top 10 in passer rating allowed to opposing quarterbacks when he's been targeted.
For cornerback Malcolm Butler, however, it's been a struggle. He's outside the top 45 in that metric and has already been charged with allowing six touchdowns this season.
