Week 14 starts off in grand fashion with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Cowboys and Lions. Both teams are fighting for a playoff spot in the NFC, so there are significant playoff implications. Let's dig into each position for the single-game contests on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott ($10,400 DK, $12,200 FD) had a terrific performance on Thanksgiving, throwing for 320 yards, two touchdowns and one interception versus the Chiefs. It was his fourth game of the season with at least 300 passing yards and his third straight game with multiple touchdown passes. The Cowboys' offense is firing on all cylinders, and Prescott is the reason why. In what has the potential to be a high-scoring game, Prescott feels like a must for Thursday night DFS lineups.
While he hasn't been as impressive as Prescott, Jared Goff ($10,000 DK, $11,200 FD) has recorded multiple touchdowns in seven of his last nine games. This game being played in Detroit provides a boost: Goff has 14 touchdowns in six home games compared to 11 in six road games. He is also averaging nearly 20 more passing yards per game at home. Helping his cause will be that the Cowboys have given up the most passing touchdowns in the league.
Running Back
Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) is listed as questionable, so if he can't play, the Lions could put even more of an emphasis on their rushing attack. They have the duo to control the game on the ground in Jahmyr Gibbs ($11,000 DK, $13,000 FD) and David Montgomery ($7,000 DK, $7,800 FD). Gibbs has already surpassed 1,000 rushing yards this season, while adding 51 receptions for 397 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns. His salary will do a number on your budget, but he could still be well worth it. Montgomery comes with much lower expectations; he hasn't received more than eight carries in a game since Week 10. However, he does have eight red-zone carries over the last five games, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he emerged from this game with a touchdown.
Javonte Williams ($9,000 DK, $9,200 FD) has already set a new career-high with 955 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns this season. What gives him a high floor has been his hefty workload, averaging 19.1 touches per game. He has also proven to be difficult to bring down, averaging 3.4 yards after contact to go along with a 16.7 percent broken tackle rate. For those looking for a dart throw, consider his backup Malik Davis ($1,400 DK, $4,000 FD), who turned three carries into 47 yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs. He has seen more work lately, receiving at least three carries in each of the last three games.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The potential absence of St. Brown would be a huge blow for the Lions, as he's accounted for 29.9 percent of their targets this season. When St. Brown left early last week, Jameson Williams ($8,400 DK, $9,800 FD) received a season-high 10 targets, finishing with seven receptions for 144 yards and one touchdown. Behind him, Isaac TeSlaa ($4,400 DK, $5,600 FD) and Tom Kennedy ($2,000 DK, $3,000 FD) could be worth taking a chance on at their cheap salaries. TeSlaa only has 11 targets this season, but he has an average depth of target of 15.0 yards and has three touchdowns. Kennedy caught all four of his targets last week for 36 yards.
The Cowboys have arguably the best wide receiver duo in the league in CeeDee Lamb ($9,600 DK, $11,800 FD) and George Pickens ($9,400 DK, $10,600 FD). Fitting both into your lineup will be tricky given their hefty salaries. Pickens is slightly cheaper, so he could end up being the better option. Since the Cowboys had their bye in Week 10, Pickens has caught 24 of 33 targets for 378 yards and two touchdowns in three games.
With Lamb and Pickens surging, Jake Ferguson ($7,400 DK, $8,400 FD) has produced some mediocre stat lines out of the tight end position, recording 50 or fewer receiving yards in eight of his last nine games and just one touchdown over the last five. This isn't the best matchup for him to get back on track, considering the Lions are tied for the sixth-fewest receptions allowed to tight ends.
The Lions continue to be without Sam LaPorta (back), who might not take the field again this season. They will also be without Brock Wright (neck) for the second straight game. Ross Dwelley ($2,800 DK, $3,800 FD) logged 47 offensive snaps while they were out last week, but he caught just one of three targets for three yards.
Kicker
Brandon Aubrey ($5,400 DK, $7,000 FD) continues to be one of the best kickers in the league: over the last three seasons, he has made 30-of-35 attempts from at least 50 yards. Jake Bates ($5,000 DK, $6,800 FD) has been racking up a lot of extra points this season, but he has only attempted 20 field goals; he missed four of them, including three from at least 50 yards.
Defense/Special Teams
The Cowboys ($3,600 DK, $6,200 FD) have only generated five interceptions compared to nine for the Lions ($4,000 DK, $6,400 FD). They have also given up the fifth-highest completion rate in the league. Meanwhile, the Lions have allowed the fifth-lowest. However, the Lions have allowed 41 completions of at least 20 yards, which is tied for the fifth-most in the league. The Cowboys aren't far behind with 39 completions of at least 20 yards allowed.
