You always want to start in your fantasy, decide to start as soon as there is only one game on Thursday night. That concept was tripled during the NFL’s three-game midweek party on Thanksgiving in Week 12.
Starting with the Bears-Lions game (12:30 p.m. ET, Fox), continuing with the Raiders-Cowboys game (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS) and ending with a Bills-Saints tilt (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC) , there are plenty of fantasy football plots to digest with your turkey and stuff. For some people, it may be normal to take action to avoid talking to annoying loved ones; but in the imagination, it’s an important Week 12 ahead with a full-season knockout coming up.
There’s a lot of trauma to navigate, with the Bears (Justin Fields, Allen Robinson) and Cowboys (Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb) passing game being affected the most. Meanwhile, The Saints have behind-the-scenes concerns that are likely to be without Alvin Kamara (knee) and Mark Ingram (knee) also not at 100%.
Keeping all of that in mind, here’s your special holiday kick-off – along with an additional DFS lineup – to help you make those tough Thanksgiving roster calls.
THANKSGIVING DFS: FanDuel lineup | DraftKings lineup
Bears vs. Lions Fantasy Start ’em, Sit’ em (12:30 p.m. ET, Fox)
Bears start and sit
Begin: RB David Montgomery, WR Darnell Mooney, Bears D / ST
To sit: QB Andy Dalton, TE Cole Kmet, K Cairo Santos
Sleeper: WR Marquise Goodwin
—The frame (ribs) hurt too much to play. Dalton helps the players with attacking skills, but he is not trusted too much in the QB2 position.
—Money, ascending to the WR2 level and the WR1 ceiling, has been seen as a dynamic top target for both QBs. His target market share is driven by Robinson (hamstring) being sold in the short term.
—Montgomery has scored twice in two previous encounters and also had a big game in Detroit on Thanksgiving in Detroit in 2019. He got the numbers straight back, and Damien Williams. (calf) is also not in the photo.
—Kmet was disappointed with his usage last week, and Lion’s match really isn’t great for tight finishes.
—The Bears won’t have the wide ranger Khaill Mack (the foot), but they have plenty of players to go after either QB Lions.
—Goodwin eliminated Mooney without Robinson, and the field connection to Dalton is there to consider him in the deep leagues or DFS tournaments.
The lion starts and sits
Begin: RB D’Andre Swift, TE TJ Ho Chickenon
To sit: QB Jared Goff / Tim Boyle, RB Jamaal Williams, all wideband recorders
Sleeper: Lion D / ST
—Swift is getting massive RB1 volume after saying goodbye to Detroit’s clear top strike asset, transforming into a working horse running on top of a receiving generator. The Bears are weaker on the run than you might think, allowing for more space and scoring opportunities.
—Hockenson woke up a bit when Boyle upgraded their aggressive pitch last week, so let’s hope he doesn’t disappear from the game plan again despite a tough match.
—Williams is being replenished following his return from a thigh injury, but Swift is the main man without any more committee cities.
—Kalif Raymond is WR56 with a half-point PPR this season. Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown is WR71. Quintez Cephus, playing in the season, is only WR84. Where did you go, Megatron?
—The Lions’ defense played quite well, keeping the Steelers and Browns under 20 points with their passing games. Dalton has also always been a candidate for pick six.
Raiders vs. Cowboys Fantasy Start ’em, Sit’ em (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Raiders start and sit
Begin: TE Darren Waller, WR Hunter Renfrow, K Daniel Carlson
To sit: QB Derek Carr, RB Josh Jacobs, RB Kenyan Drake, Raiders D/ST, WR DeSean Jackson
Sleeper: WR Bryan Edwards
—Waller and Renfrow is where the game goes the most with a limited pop-down from Carr at the end.
—Carlson, despite the Raiders’ recent struggles, is still signing up at K14 for the season, making him playable against Harrison Butker and Matt Prater.
—Carr can be started, but he comes with a lot of upheaval going through three cold matches after the bye. Remember that the Cowboys just brought Matt Ryan and Patrick Mahomes to their knees in the face of Dan Quinn’s resistance.
—Jacobs and Drake have also been very bad over the past two weeks, as the Raiders’ run and down performance has also worn off, and the Cowboys’ game doesn’t help them at all.
—If you’re looking for a deep ball dart, Edwards will be the one who can better burn Trevon Diggs in garbage time, not NFC East’s old nemesis Jackson.
Cowboys start and sit
Begin: QB Dak Prescott, RB Ezekiel Elliott, WR Michael Gallup, TE Dalton Schultz, RB Tony Pollard, Cowboys D/ST, K Greg Zuerlein
To sit: WR Malik Turner
Sleeper: WR Cedrick Wilson
—Prescott won’t have Cooper (COVID-19) or potentially Lamb (concussion) but Gallup, more flexible in their offensive behavior now, could be an effective prime target. This matchup was also spectacular for Schultz, who should also see a collision on key targets in the red zone.
—Prescott has a 250-yard-two-TD high floor for bouncing back from Kansas City and has a 300-meter, three-TD ceiling. Gallup and Schultz should score him along with at least one of the full-backs.
—Elliott (knee) continues to play after a tough injury, but the Cowboys should rely more on him and Pollard as the Raiders defense begins to wilt over time.
—Greg the Leg must be busy, as the Cowboys are bound to add targets to the field during a scheduled game.
—Diggs might give up a big game or two, but he should lick a six pick from Carr. Micah Parsons has also faced QB a few times.
—Wilson has also appeared frequently against Prescott, and he would be another WR pick against Turner, who just jumped at the chance to beat the Broncos at home.
Bills vs. Saints Fantasy Start ’em, Sit’ em (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
Bill start and sit
Begin: QB Josh Allen, WR Stefon Diggs, TE Dawson Knox, Bills D/ST, K Tyler Bass
To sit: WR Emmanuel Sanders, WR Cole Beasley, RB Matt Breida, RB Devin Singletary, RB Zack Moss
Sleeper: WR Gabriel Davis
—Allen gave up late, when his big passes and runs were restrained. He should improvise and grind to get enough QB1s at the back against a usually tough Saints running defensively and sometimes a secondary doubt from cornerback Marshon Lattimore.
—Diggs was helped by the Bills when he couldn’t get reliable play from other skill players, as Allen was going back to the basics and trusting his best friend as well as the go-getter guy once again. Diggs will see a combination of Lattimore and the two teams, but he should keep the heat with his line running, quick hands and agility. He also got to play the team he burned for “Minneapolis Miracle” TD as a Viking.
—The Bills and Bass’ defense has been imaginary money for most games, and they’ll be up against the Saints in a favorable indoor environment.
—Knox has been another important safety valve player because of his sport and his midfield work. It was a time of deep shots as Sanders was carried away and Beasley fought off crushed ribs. He could put up a good match between the Eagles’ Dallas Goedert and New Orleans.
—Breida was considered the Bills’ best advocate later this year, but he messed up their committee. Despite the Eagles running all over the Saints, they still made a good run when Jalen Hurts wasn’t involved. Allen will likely lead the rush team.
—Davis should be more involved in offense when Diggs is in the spotlight, and there’s a good chance he could score in single coverage on a schoolwide scale.
Saints start and sit
Begin: RB Alvin Kamara or Mark Ingram
To sit: WR Marquez Callaway, WR Deonte Harris, TE Juwan Johnson, QB Trevor Siemian, QB Taysom Hill, Saints D/ST, K Brett Maher
Sleeper: WR Tre’Quan Smith
—Ingram filled Kamara (knee) well after reuniting with the Saints. However, he was much better against the Titans than the Eagles, and even though Jonathan Taylor ran all over the Bills, they were chubby all season long. Kamara will still be an RB1 back-end if he plays. If Kamara is eliminated, Ingram is a backup RB2 based on tough matches.
—Siemian is making some multi-TD efforts, but it’s making big mistakes. Hill can also be thrown into the mix as a wrinkle. Sure End Adam Trautman may have appealed after shining for the Eagles, but he’s been out for a while after suffering a knee injury.
—Even with the emotional early-time clash at home and the Bills’ recent struggles, playing defending the Saints here isn’t appealing compared to many of the other better D/ST picks of the week this.
—Among Callaway, Harris, and the others, Smith has, since he returned from IR, been the most viable to some extent when trying to replace Michael Thomas (ankle). Overall, these numbers aren’t huge, but they do add to the consistent WR3 and flexible considerations in deeper tournaments.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKING:
Midfielder | Run back | Wide receiver | Tight ending | VND / ST | Kicker
DraftKings NFL Thanksgiving Cash Game Lineup
QB: Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($6,900)
RB: David Montgomery, Bears ($6,000)
RB: Tony Pollard, Cowboy ($5,600)
WR: Stefon Diggs, Bill ($7,900)
WR: Darnell Mooney, Bears ($5,700)
WR: Tre’Quan Smith, Saint ($4,400)
TE: Dalton Schultz, Cowboys ($5,300)
FLEX: Dawson Knox, Bills ($4,400)
D/ST: Cowboy ($3,300)
WEEK 12 PPR RANKING:
Midfielder | Run back | Wide receiver | Tight ending | VND / ST | Kicker
There’s a stack of sneaky Cowboys here featuring Prescott, Schultz, and Pollard, and we’ve also got in two of the best parts of the game overtaking the Bills. This is another direct message Montgomery and Mooney will deliver in Detroit. The Cowboys defense is the icing on the pumpkin pie. We’re perfectly fine without any Lion rep, with Montgomery being a good peg from Swift.
