This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
Week 12 NFL action kicks off Thursday with a three-game Thanksgiving Day Slate. The Packers and Lions start things off at 12:30 p.m. EST, followed by Commanders and Cowboys at 4:30, with an 8:20 matchup between the 49ers and Seahawks for dessert. Yahoo will be running its usual Week 12 Baller contest come Sunday, but before then, you can take part in the Thanksgiving Baller contest, which pays out a guaranteed prize pool of $75,000 to the top 1,175 finishers, including $15,000 to the winner. You can submit up to 150 entries into this contest, which has a maximum total capacity of 5,875 entries but will still run if it doesn't fill, potentially providing you with enhanced odds of winning, also known as overlay.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared towards head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two, while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. Your NFL $75k Thanksgiving Baller lineup will consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Thursday's suggested options include a QB-WR stack facing a vulnerable secondary, as well as a pair of rookie RBs.
QUARTERBACK
Dak Prescott, DAL vs. WAS ($36): Even if Prescott was playing Sunday with the majority of the league, he might still have been the recommended QB play against Washington's dreadful secondary. After a slow start to the season, Prescott has posted a 14:2 TD:INT over his last five games while adding two rushing TDs and throwing for more than 300 yards three times. He should carve up a Commanders defense that has allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL and a league-high 24 passing TDs, including three last week to undrafted Giants rookie Tommy DeVito.
Honorable Mentions:
Brock Purdy, SF vs. SEA ($31); Jordan Love, GB at DET ($27)
Against the Grainers:
Sam Howell, WAS at DAL ($28); Geno Smith, SEA vs. SF ($23)
RUNNING BACK
Jahmyr Gibbs, DET vs. GB ($26): Gibbs is the better value at a salary $6 lower than fellow Detroit RB David Montgomery. In the last two games since Montgomery returned from a rib injury, Gibbs has 22 carries and nine catches to his backfield partner's 24 carries and two catches. Notably, both RBs are getting goal-line opportunities, as Gibbs scored a two-yard rushing TD in last week's win over the Bears, extending his TD streak to four games. The 2023 first-round draft pick will look to extend that streak against a Packers defense that has allowed 1,030 rushing yards and eight rushing TDs to RBs, both eighth-most in the NFL.
Zach Charbonnet, SEA at SF ($18): With Kenneth Walker trending towards his first absence of the season after exiting Seattle's previous game, Charbonnet is set to take over the lead role. The rookie second-round pick out of UCLA is averaging a promising 4.9 yards per carry, and he has been more involved as a pass catcher out of the backfield recently, with 10 catches on 11 targets over the past two games. He's a low-floor play against the stout San Francisco defense, but Charbonnet's fresh legs and potential for a robust workload give him a high ceiling, especially since Seattle would love to go run-heavy to keep the 49ers' talented offense on the sidelines and limit the number of throws Geno Smith has to make with his banged-up elbow.
Honorable Mentions:
Christian McCaffrey, SF at SEA ($42); Tony Pollard, DAL vs. WAS ($19)
Against the Grainers:
Brian Robinson, WAS at DAL ($21); AJ Dillon, GB at DET ($16)
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandon Aiyuk, SF at SEA ($24): Aiyuk offers a solid floor and an immense ceiling at a reasonable valuation against Seattle's pedestrian pass defense. He has at least 109 yards in four of nine appearances, as well as three TDs in those four games, but has averaged a respectable 57.8 yards in the other five while adding one TD. The Seahawks' secondary has improved after a dreadful start to the season, but WRs have scored 10 TDs against this unit despite the addition of 2023 fifth overall pick cornerback Devon Witherspoon, and even the biggest Seattle homers have stopped comparing middling second-year cover corner Riq Woolen to Sauce Gardner.
Brandin Cooks, DAL vs. WAS ($22): Paying up for both Prescott and CeeDee Lamb ($40) is doable but would force you to pinch pennies elsewhere, so grabbing Cooks and/or Michael Gallup ($14) instead of Lamb is a sensible move. Lamb had a streak of three consecutive performances over 150 yards snapped last week, but Cooks has also benefited from Prescott's recent surge. The veteran WR has found the end zone in three of the past five games and erupted for 173 receiving yards in Week 10 against the Giants. You can also go all in on Dallas' passing game by locking in all three of Prescott, Lamb and Cooks.
Terry McLaurin, WAS at DAL ($17): Washington's No. 1 WR usually plays his best against NFC East rivals, as he's scored at least three career TDs against each of the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants. In seven career meetings with Dallas, McLaurin has 373 yards and three TDs. The underdog Commanders will likely fall behind and have to throw often, which should lead to another busy day for McLaurin, whose 86 targets this season are tied for 15th-most in the NFL.
Honorable Mentions:
CeeDee Lamb, DAL vs. WAS ($40); Jayden Reed, GB at DET ($16)
Against the Grainers:
Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET vs. GB ($31); DK Metcalf, SEA vs. SF ($21)
TIGHT END
George Kittle, SF at SEA ($22): Kittle should be worth paying up for Thursday, as the talented tight end has been tremendous recently. Over his last four games, Kittle has caught 25 of 31 targets for 432 yards and two touchdowns. Seattle's 542 receiving yards allowed to tight ends are the most among teams playing on Thanksgiving, and Kittle has a far superior track record to the alternatives at his position, which are a mix of promising youngsters and underwhelming veterans.
Honorable Mentions:
Sam LaPorta, DET vs. GB ($21); Jake Ferguson, DAL vs. WAS ($19)
Against the Grainers:
Logan Thomas, WAS at DAL ($15); Tucker Kraft, GB at DET ($10)
DEFENSE
Detroit Lions vs. GB ($13): Detroit's affordable defense is a nice value against the turnover-prone Packers offense. Jordan Love has thrown 10 interceptions in his last eight games, including two in the Lions' Week 4 win at Lambeau Field. The five sacks Love took in that game were also a season high, and the Packers are averaging just 20.2 PPG overall this season, which is at least 1.3 points fewer than any of the other five teams playing on Thanksgiving.
Honorable Mentions:
Dallas Cowboys vs. WAS ($21); San Francisco 49ers at SEA ($16)
Against the Grainers:
Seattle Seahawks vs. SF ($13); Green Bay Packers at DET ($11)
