This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
Thursday's three-game Thanksgiving Day slate begins at 12:30 p.m. EST with the Lions hosting the Bears, then the Raiders visit the Cowboys after that followed by a Bills-Saints nightcap to wrap up the action. Given the matchups, most lineups will likely be built primarily around the high-powered Cowboys offense and a more affordable Bears unit that should benefit from facing the lowly Lions. Below, you'll find the recommended options for Thursday-only contests.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott, DAL vs. LV ($35): Prescott's disastrous showing last week snapped a streak of six consecutive appearances with at least 19.8 fantasy points. He'll remain without starting wide receiver Amari Cooper (COVID-19), and CeeDee Lamb's (concussion) status is up in the air, but Dak should still bounce back against a Vegas team that's in disarray from top to bottom. A tumultuous couple months off the field have taken their toll on the field for the Raiders, who have been outscored 73-27 over the last two games and dropped three straight. While the injuries to Dallas' receiving corps are capturing the headlines, an underrated positive development on the injury front is the expected return of Tyron Smith (knee), who has been the league's most effective blindside protector when healthy.
Andy Dalton, CHI at DET ($21): If you're looking to maximize bang for your buck under center, then Dalton's probably your man. Locking him in will allow you to spend freely at other positions, and Dalton should find success against the 0-9-1 Lions. Detroit has been more vulnerable on the ground than through the air of late, but a lot of that has to do with game script incentivizing opponents to run the ball. Last week against the Ravens, Dalton threw for more than 200 yards in less than a half of action after replacing Justin Fields, who hurt his ribs and will subsequently sit this one out as well.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen (BUF, $38), Derek Carr (LV, $29)
Running Back
David Montgomery, CHI at DET ($26): Montgomery's best outing of the year came earlier this season against Detroit, as he rumbled for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. He'll be looking for a repeat performance against a generous Lions front that has allowed 17 scrimmage touchdowns to running backs, which is second most after the Jets (21). Montgomery has received 27 of Chicago's 32 carries by running backs in two games since coming back from a knee injury, and his workload figures to grow here with the Bears expected to play with a lead.
Mark Ingram, NO vs. BUF ($17): Assuming Ingram plays and Alvin Kamara (knee) misses a third consecutive game, the veteran running back would be a tremendous value given his volume during Kamara's absence so far. Ingram has topped 100 scrimmage yards in each of the past two games, adding one touchdown in that stretch while racking up 30 rushing attempts and 10 catches on 15 targets. Buffalo's stout front previously represented a daunting matchup, but there was nothing daunting about this defense last week, when Jonathan Taylor ran in four touchdowns and caught a fifth for the Colts in Buffalo.
Honorable Mentions: D'Andre Swift (DET, $29), Josh Jacobs (LV, $17), Ezekiel Elliott (DAL, $33)
Wide Receiver
Stefon Diggs, BUF at NO ($30): With the dearth of healthy wide receiver talent on this slate, Diggs is an obvious choice against a Saints team against which he has produced some memorable moments. Diggs has found his scoring touch after a slow start, notching five touchdowns in his last five games after finding paydirt only once in the previous five. Buffalo's top receiver should add to his recent success facing a team against which he's scored three touchdowns in two regular-season clashes, not to mention the Minneapolis Miracle in the postseason.
Darnell Mooney, CHI at DET ($16): Mooney's not the most efficient player with his targets, but he sure does get a lot of them in a Bears offense devoid of quality wide receiver play. The second-year pro has been thrown to 31 times in the past three games, generating 226 receiving yards and two touchdowns while also adding a 15-yard rushing touchdown over that stretch. Mooney took a screen pass 60 yards to the house last week, and having Dalton rather than Fields under center raises the floor for Chicago's passing game.
Michael Gallup, DAL vs. LV ($19): Regardless of Lamb's availability, Gallup will be locked into a starting role on the outside with Cooper out. Gallup dealt with some injury issues of his own earlier this season, but he's now had two games to get up to speed and led the Cowboys with 10 targets last week. The volume should be there again in this one, and you won't find a player more aptly named to win the Galloping Gobbler award as the league's Thanksgiving MVP.
Honorable Mentions: Hunter Renfrow (LV, $17), Deonte Harris (NO, $10), Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET, $12)
Tight End
Darren Waller, LV at DET ($24): The talent, and likely production, gap between Waller and the other tight end options is bigger than the salary gap. Vegas will need to score plenty of points to keep up with the Cowboys given the state of the Raiders' defense, and Waller has been targeted fewer than seven times only once this season. He's by far the top option in the Raiders' passing game and has topped 90 receiving yards twice in the past three contests. Waller's also due for some positive regression in the touchdown department, as he remains a frequent target in the red zone but has only two touchdowns after scoring nine last season.
Honorable Mentions: Dawson Knox (BUF, $17), Cole Kmet (CHI, $12)
Defense
Buffalo Bills, BUF at NO ($18): The Bills were the league's best defense heading into last week's embarrassing loss to the Colts, but they'll be eager to bounce back after getting manhandled by Indianapolis. While the Bears are a tempting option, especially as Detroit will probably have either Tim Boyle or David Blough under center, Buffalo should be a strong choice against a Trevor Siemian-led Saints offense that will likely remain without Kamara. Siemian had two interceptions in last week's loss to the Eagles, including a pick six, and quarterbacks facing the Bills have a dreadful 7:15 TD:INT this season.
Honorable Mentions: Chicago Bears (at DET, $20), Detroit Lions (vs. CHI, $14)
