Thanksgiving is here! That may or may not mean full plates of food and family time for you. However, there is one thing it means for everybody. We get football for almost a full day. Whether you’re bonding over it with your friends and family or avoiding people with it, football is here for you! What better way to share your accomplishments with the family than showing them your NFL Thanksgiving Day DFS lineup? Let’s take a look at one expensive option and one cheap option for every position!
Thanksgiving Day DFS Lineup Advice
Quarterback
Let’s start by looking at the quarterback position for our NFL Thanksgiving Day DFS lineup. With six teams playing, you have six starters to choose from. Lamar Jackson rounds out the top at a price of just $6,800. He’s followed by Mahomes, Prescott, the returning Joe Burrow, Goff, and then Love.
Personally, I’m going with Dak Prescott at $6,300. One thing’s for sure, this team has been slinging the ball. Dak has gone over 25 fantasy points the last two weeks. He had two slower games prior to the bye. However, prior to that, he had three straight games in the 20s. At just $6,300, I think he’s at a great price point.
Maybe you want to go a little cheaper at quarterback, though. I’m not saying dive down to Jordan Love’s level. While we’ve seen him make some really good throws this season, we’ve seen some hilariously bad ones. Instead, I’m pivoting to Jared Goff at $5,800. Even with Jahmyr Gibbs running for three long touchdowns last week, Goff still managed 18 points. He’s averaging 18.5 per game with a peak of 37. Goff is a great, affordable option to save some cash.
Running Backs
I just mentioned Jahmyr Gibbs. He’s the most expensive running back on the NFL Thanksgiving Day DFS lineup list. However, in the last five games, he’s averaged 33 fantasy points per game. The Lions offense seemingly runs through Gibbs. Whether making plays on the ground or in the air, he feels like a must-roster player. Yes, he goes against the Green Bay Packers, who are 10th-ranked against running backs. However, he’s one of those matchup-proof players. It doesn’t matter that he’s the most expensive at $8,800.
There are a couple of other budget-friendly players that you could pick at running back or for your second running back. Chase Brown is only $6,500. I’m slightly worried about how he will do with Joe Burrow being back. In the first games with Burrow, Brown wasn’t very productive. Meanwhile, in the last four games, he’s averaged 20 fantasy points per game. We’ll see if he can keep up his momentum with Burrow back. However, I believe he’s hitting his stride now.
Another running back that’s on the budget is Javonte Williams at $6,300. His past three games haven’t been as productive. On top of that, he has a really tough matchup. Still, what’s the recipe for success for the Cowboys? Keeping Patrick Mahomes and the offense off the field. How do they do that? By running the ball. Williams has averaged 16.9 fantasy points per game, peaking at 29.9.
Wide Receivers
The most expensive receiver on the board is Ja’Marr Chase. He’s 8,000, goes against the 25th-ranked defense, doesn’t have Tee Higgins to compete with, and gets Joe Burrow back. He’s averaged 20.7 fantasy points per game, including a 41.1 game against Pittsburgh in Week 7. It’s hard not to throw him on your roster.
However, if you can’t afford Chase, you can always look towards stacking Dak with one of the Dallas receivers. I think I actually prefer Pickens, despite the fact that he’s $100 more than CeeDee Lamb at $7,000. Pickens has averaged 21.1 fantasy points per game and is coming off two straight 32 fantasy point games. Dak is targeting him an average of 9 times over the last four games, and I don’t expect that to change. They face a tough defense, but I think Pickens will show up in a big way.
Other wide receivers to consider are guys like Zay Flowers for $6,100. Flowers doesn’t eactly put up huge points. However, he is very consistent. He’s had double-digit fantasy points every week except for two. That includes weeks when Lamar was out. Flowers is going to get you some consistency, and at only $6,100, the consistency is worth the price.
Still looking for somebody cheaper? How about Andrewi Iosivas at $4,300? Maybe you couldn’t afford Ja’Marr Chase, but still want a piece of the Joe-Burrow-led Bengals against a defense that’s allowed a lot of fantasy football wide receiver points. Your NFL Thanksgiving Day DFS lineup may be looking for a guy who’ll be stepping in place of Tee Higgins. While everybody is focused on Ja’Marr Chase, Iosivas should be able to create separation. He’s only averaging 5.6 fantasy points per game. However, he’s scored double-digit points in the last two weeks.
Tight End
Finally, you can’t forget about picking a good tight end for your NFL Thanksgiving Day DFS lineup. The expensive guy is easy. Travis Kelce may be a little long in the tooth. However, he’s still known for showing up in big games, like on Thanksgiving. He’s averaging 13.4 fantasy points per game. However, in the last four weeks, he’s gone over 20 fantasy points twice. At $5,000, he’s worthy of your tight end or even a flex spot.
If you’re looking for a cheaper option at the tight end position, good luck. You can always take a stab at Mark Andrews at $3,600. He’s averaging 9 fantasy points per game. Although in the last four weeks, he’s had double-digit fantasy points in three of them.
You could always take a stab at Mike Gesicki at $3,100. He returned from injury last week and scored 7.5 fantasy points. Not only did he get to knock the rust off in that game, but now he gets Joe Burrow back at quarterback, and the offense may have plenty to go around.
Defense
Personally, I pick my defense last and just take who I can get. For a little reverse correlation, I am taking the Kansas City Chiefs at $2,800. I have Dak and Pickens. However, maybe Dak gets a little too friendly and gives the ball to the Chiefs too much. Therefore, if he does well, they do bad. If he does bad, theoretically they’re likely doing well.
Good luck with your NFL Thanksgiving Day DFS lineups, and here’s to hoping we pull in some nice cash!
