This article is part of our FanDuel Fantasy Football series.
It's only a three-game slate, but the Thanksgiving games are always some of the most anticipated of the year. FanDuel has unsurprisingly capitalized on the hype by offering the Thanksgiving Million ($9 entry) as well as some other tournaments with hefty prize pools. We'll do the breakdown a little differently given the smaller slate, going position by position while highlighting intriguing players at various price points.
The Games
| Over/Under | Road Team | Road Implied Total | Home Team | Home Implied Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46.5 | Green Bay | 19.5 | Detroit | 27 |
| 48.5 | Washington | 19 | Dallas | 29.5 |
| 43 | San Francisco | 25 | Seattle | 18 |
Quarterback
Top-Tier – Dak Prescott ($8,500)
The Cowboys have allowed Prescott to keep his foot on the gas lately. He's had at least 35 pass attempts in each of his last three games after reaching that mark only twice in Dallas' first seven games. Meanwhile, the Commanders are arguably the best matchup for quarterbacks. All told, eight of 11 quarterbacks they've faced have reached at least 20 points and three have topped 25 this season.
Mid-Tier - None
Value – Sam Howell ($7,300), Jordan Love ($7,200)
Speaking of letting their quarterbacks air it out, Howell has topped 40 pass attempts in five consecutive games and has reached at least 300 yards and multiple touchdowns three times each int that span. Dallas is a tough matchup, which could make Love the better option despite the projected volume for Howell. Detroit has turned into a pass funnel defense, so if the Packers hope to keep pace, it will have to be through the air.
Running Back
Top-Tier - Christian McCaffrey ($9,800), Jahmyr Gibbs ($8,200)
McCaffrey speaks for himself; no explanation is needed. Gibbs has undoubtedly lost volume since Montgomery returned, but he has a ceiling superior to that of Montgomery due to his involvement as a receiver and his ability to hit the home run.
Mid-Tier- David Montgomery ($7,800), Brian Robinson ($6,700), AJ Dillon ($6,600)
Montgomery is as close of a lock to score a touchdown as it comes, but we know what his ceiling will be. He scored 16.8 to19.9 FD points in three of his last five games, while he has one spike performance this season (33.1, which coincidentally came against the Packers in Week 3). Robinson is in a tough matchup, but he has had surprising volume as a pass catcher the last few weeks. With Howell taking to the air so much, we can project that to continue. Dillon may well be the last man standing in the Green Bay backfield given the injuries to Aaron Jones (knee) and Emanuel Wilson (shoulder), but the Detroit run defense is no joke, and Dillon has been remarkably inefficient for most of the season.
Value – Zach Charbonnet ($5,800), Emanuel Wilson ($4,500), Kenny McIntosh ($4,000)
If Wilson suits up, he should be in line for decent volume as the primary backup to Dillon. Charbonnet is likely to lead the backfield in Seattle with Kenneth Walker (oblique) out, but don't sleep on McIntosh. Coach Pete Carroll has talked up the rookie, and he could be a way to both save salary and build unique lineups.
Wide Receiver
Top Tier – CeeDee Lamb ($9,200), Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,500), Brandon Aiyuk ($7,800)
If we expect Prescott to air the ball out, it follows that Lamb is in line for a monster game. It's foreseeable that he's the highest-scoring player of the day. Aiyuk is boom/bust relative to his price. He has four 100-yard performances this season but has also been held to less than 10 FD points four times. The Seahawks have been a tough matchup lately. St. Brown has arguably the safest floor, but he could lose out volume based on game script.
Mid-Tier – Jayden Reed ($5,900), Brandin Cooks ($5,700)
Cooks has three touchdowns this season and in those games, the Cowboys have scored 49, 43 and 20 points. Dallas is in a spot to erupt offensively, dragging Cooks into fantasy production along the way. The Packers have made it clear they want to get Reed involved, and he has the highest ceiling of the team's pass catchers.
Value Options - Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($5,400), Jameson Williams ($5,300)
DK Metcalf has been held out of practice due to a toe injury. It's unclear whether that's going to jeopardize his game status, but Smith-Njigba will become an obvious value and exceptionally chalky if Metcalf is out. Williams is a punt play, but he has two long touchdowns this season and has 12.3 and 11.4 FD points in those games. Those aren't great raw numbers but are fine when adjusted for price.
Tight End
Top-Tier – George Kittle ($7,200), Sam LaPorta (6,500)
Kittle and LaPorta have the highest ceilings at the position with little question. Neither matchup is great, so these don't stand out as explosive spots for either on paper.
Mid-Tier – Jake Ferguson ($6,100)
Ferguson pops for yardage performances on occasion, but he primarily is reliant on finding the end zone. It's been repeated several times at this point, but Dallas is going to score points, so he's a nice mid-tier option to settle into.
Value Options – Logan Thomas ($5,200), Tucker Kraft ($4,300), Josiah Deguara ($4,300)
Thomas may have the safest floor of any player at the position, as he has at least five targets in five consecutive games. He's topped 40 yards in four of those games. The problem is that he has a low ceiling, as he's reached double-digit FD points only twice this season. Luke Musgrave (abdomen) is out, which could open the door for Kraft or DeGuara. I'd prefer Kraft because we know what Deguara is at this point, and that's not an exciting fantasy option.
Defense
Top-Tier – Dallas ($5,000)
Sam Howell is a sack and pick machine. Dallas hunts for both, so this has the makings of a big day for the Dallas D.
Mid-Tier – None
Value – Green Bay ($3,500)
Jared Goff has played well enough to win, but victories have overshadowed his mistakes. He's turned the ball over multiple times in two of his last four games. Detroit will score points, but Green Bay should get a turnover or two along the way.
