There is another excellent Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 2 of the NFL season. The Buffalo Bills will open their new stadium against the Detroit Lions in primetime.
Here are my top Pick6 plays for Thursday Night Football.
Bills vs. Lions DraftKings Pick6 Picks for Thursday Night Football
Jake Bates Less Than 1.5 Field Goals Made
Jake Bates is a really solid kicker for the Lions. He struggles from really long range, though, going just 4-for-9 on attempts from 50+ yards out last season. However, he is a perfect 27-for-27 inside 40 yards in his NFL career. Another problem for Bates is that he just doesn’t get that many attempts. It’s no secret that Dan Campbell hates kicking field goals. He wants to go for it on fourth down whenever possible. Then, the spots where he is more likely to want to kick far away from the opposing end zone are where Bates struggles to make his kicks.
Last season, the Lions ranked fifth in the NFL in scoring offense and total offense. Despite their prolific offense, Bates ranked 15th in the NFL in made field goals. This is a tough road game against an elite team. Campbell knows that field goals won’t do the trick if he wants to pull off the road upset. It’s hard to see him turning to Bates more than once in this game. Even if Bates gets an attempt, there is no guarantee he makes it if it’s longer than 40 yards, especially on the road outdoors in Buffalo.
Josh Allen More Than 0.5 Rushing + Receiving TDs
Josh Allen is one of the best runners of the football in NFL history. Last week, Allen ran for two touchdowns, bringing him to 81 career rushing scores. That brings him to 20th on the NFL all-time rushing touchdown leader list, tied with Frank Gore and the most of any quarterback in history. Since the start of the 2022 NFL season, only Derrick Henry has more rushing touchdowns than Josh Allen. Allen should use his legs again in this game against the Lions. He seems to rely on his rushing ability more in big games against elite teams, as he did against Houston last week.
In two career games against Dan Campbell’s Lions, Allen is 2-0 and has 21 carries for 146 yards and three touchdowns. He should keep that great track record going and rush for at least one score in his first regular-season start at the new Highmark Stadium.
Jahmyr Gibbs More Than 125.5 Rushing + Receiving Yards
Jahmyr Gibbs has been one of the best running backs in the NFL over the last couple of seasons. However, he was given a new level of responsibility when Detroit let David Montgomery go to Houston over the offseason. Gibbs was always sensational, but he had a partner-in-crime to help lighten his load. This season, he’s set to get more touches than ever before. That is why many have him pegged to win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. While his team had a bit of a scare in Week 1, he set the tone for what could be a special season.
In the opener against the Saints, Gibbs had 34 total touches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. He did it all for Detroit and should need a similar performance if they want to beat the Bills. This will be a battle of two high-powered offenses and questionable defenses. Buffalo ranked 24th in defensive EPA/rush last week after ranking 31st in the same metric last season. This run defense has major issues, and Dan Campbell should get the ball to Gibbs as much as possible. Not only is he the team’s most dangerous weapon, but grinding the ball on the ground keeps it out of the hands of Josh Allen.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice, and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
