DraftKings NFL: Thanksgiving Breakdown

This article is part of our DraftKings NFL series.

The Games

Quarterback

• Dak Prescott vs. WAS ($6,800)

A theme of this article will be Cowboys' players projecting best at each position. Their offense has been as good as any in the league in the last month and now they get prime matchup at home against the Commanders, who just got lit up by Tommy DeVito for three touchdown passes. Not only does Dallas have a 30-point implied total, but DraftKings priced it rather softly. Prescott has topped 30 fantasy points in three of his last four games and should face little resistance against a defense that traded its best two pass-rushers. He'll be the most popular QB on the slate and is a no-brainer in cash games as the gap in salary between him and the cheaper options is too small and spending down doesn't result in enough of an upgrade somewhere else. 

• Brock Purdy at SEA ($6,100)

Purdy seems likely to be the second-most popular choice after back-to-back standout performances in which he combined for 600-plus passing yards with six TDs and no INTs. He's put up at least 23 fantasy points in three consecutive games and the 49ers once again find themselves among the favorites to win the Super Bowl. Purdy's expected to be only half as popular as Prescott, which makes him intriguing for tournaments. So is Jordan Love ($5,500), who's coming off another solid game after he threw for 322 yards and two TDs in last Sunday's upset of the Chargers. Love struggled mightily in the first half of the season, but he's coming off the best two games of his young career. The matchup in Detroit isn't ideal, but we've seen plenty of shootouts at Ford Field and Love's cheap salary can help facilitate unique lineup constructions. 

Running Back

• Christian McCaffrey at SEA ($8,700)

We're used to seeing McCaffrey priced in the low $9K range, which makes his $8,700 salary for Thursday seem like a bargain. Nothing has happened to warrant the discount either. He topped 20 fantasy points for the fourth consecutive game last week and has now eclipsed that mark in eight of 10 games this season. He has 14 touchdowns in that span and is coming off 26 touches against the Bucs on Sunday, one off his season high. He's showing no signs of slowing and neither is head coach Kyle Shanahan when it comes to his usage. He's a lock for cash games but not necessarily for GPPs as there are other solid running backs and multiple spend-up options at WR. He'll also be the most popular, which means you can find leverage in fading him. 

• Tony Pollard vs. WAS ($6,700)

Deciding between Pollard and Jahmyr Gibbs ($6,800) might be the toughest decision on the slate. They're projected evenly around the industry and DraftKings agrees. Both have favorable home matchups and their respective teams have high totals. Pollard probably has more touchdown equity as Gibbs shares goal-line touches with David Montgomery ($6,300). I wouldn't fault anyone for making the decision based strictly on the eye test, however. Gibbs has looked quick and explosive while Pollard has not. Gibbs has scored five times in the last four weeks while Pollard's TD against Carolina on Sunday was his first since Week 1. I highlighted Pollard because he's expected to be slightly more popular and sometimes that's the decider for cash games, but I prefer Gibbs in GPPs, especially if I'm rostering Prescott. I have some interest in Montgomery too as he'll be considerably less popular and he smashed the Packers in Week 4 with 141 yards and three TDs. 

Kenneth Walker (oblique) is listed as questionable and seems unlikely to play as of this writing. Second-round rookie Zach Charbonnet ($5,300) would be in line to start and see the lion's share of snaps. He's already shown plenty of upside in the passing game after six catches last week against the Rams and four the week before that. It's a tough matchup against the 49ers, but the price tag is cheap. It's a similar story with AJ Dillon ($5,400), who will start in place of the injured Aaron Jones. Dillon should see plenty of snaps, but the Packers are sizable underdogs and likely to be playing from behind. We've seen him fail in these spots a few times the last couple seasons. I prefer Charbonnet but so will the field, making Dillon intriguing in tournaments. 

Wide Receiver

• CeeDee Lamb vs. WAS ($8,700)

Choosing between Lamb and Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,500) is difficult as there's obvious merit in rostering each. You could say that Lamb's ceiling is a bit higher while St. Brown is more consistent. I chose Lamb because I prefer Dak Prescott to Jared Goff and also believe the Cowboys matchup is better than the Lions. Lamb has posted 150-plus receiving yards in three of his last four games as the Cowboys' offense has fired on all cylinders. Not that this is a bad spot for St. Brown, but there is a clear path for the Lions to control the game on the ground as they did in the Week 4 matchup. Of course, you can roster both if you make a sacrifice like fading McCaffrey. 

Moving to the mid-range, Brandon Aiyuk ($7,000) leads the league in yards per catch and is coming off 156 yards and a score in last week's win over the Bucs. He won't be too popular either when you consider Deebo Samuel ($5,900) and Terry McLaurin ($5,400) are considerably cheaper. I worry that Samuel doesn't have the ceiling he once did, but he doesn't need it to pay off his middling salary. Don't forget about DK Metcalf ($6,500) either, who's quietly recorded back-to-back 90-plus yard games. The likely game script and no Kenneth Walker probably means the onus will be squarely on the passing-game if the Seahawks are going to compete. As long as Geno Smith (elbow) starts, Metcalf looks like a strong tournament option. 

• Christian Watson ($4,300) and Jayden Reed ($4,200) at DET

Highlighting Watson is almost solely based on price as his salary has dramatically fallen to a season low. He's been one of fantasy football's biggest disappointments, having yet to catch more than three passes in a game. The raw talent is still there, however, and he's coming off the game-winning TD in Sunday's upset of the Chargers. The Packers are likely to be without Aaron Jones and Luke Musgrave. They'll probably be playing from behind as well, which should mean plenty of opportunities for the pass catchers. I wouldn't argue if you said Reed was a better option than Watson. Recent numbers would back that up as Reed has a touchdown and 19-plus fantasy points in back-to-back games. I'll have exposure to both Packers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba ($4,100) is another worthy option in this range. The talented rookie is drawing 5-6 targets per game and has shown glimpses as to why Seattle selected him in the first round. If you're rostering Prescott in tournaments, considering double-stacking him with Lamb and Brandin Cooks ($4,500), who has three TDs in his last five games and flashed a massive 35-point ceiling two weeks ago against the Giants. Options for dirt-cheap include Curtis Samuel ($3,600) and Jameson Williams ($3,400), the latter of whom caught a 32-yard TD last week. 

Tight Ends

• Jake Ferguson vs. WAS ($3,900)

Ferguson projects as the top value at tight end and will be the most popular at his position as a result. He's caught a touchdown in three of his last four games, but it was Luke Schoonmaker ($2,600) who found the endzone last week. The last two games, Ferguson has been on the field for roughly 70 percent of snaps while Schoonmaker has seen a 35 percent share. If you're looking to be contrarian in GPPs, George Kittle ($6,000) won't be popular at all, despite the fact that he's topped 22 fantasy points in three consecutive games while catching 20 passes on 24 targets in that span. 

• Tucker Kraft at DET ($2,500)

Luke Musgrave (abdomen) was discharged from the hospital Tuesday and placed on IR. With him out, Kraft is expected to be the starting TE for the Packers with Josiah Deguara (hip) also nursing an injury. Kraft, a third-round rookie, made a phenomenal 27-yard catch in Sunday's win over the Chargers and for the minimum salary, I'd have no problem rostering him in any format. In tournaments, Logan Thomas ($3,500) makes sense in Cowboys stacks. He's caught at least four passes in five consecutive games as the Commanders continue to pass at a high clip. 

Defense/Special Teams

• Dallas Cowboys vs. WAS ($3,800)

The Cowboys defense should be a little more expensive in this spot. Sam Howell is on pace to be the most-sacked quarterback in NFL history and the Giants defense just got to him nine times and forced three INTs. Dallas is coming off seven sacks against Carolina and its defense put up 20-plus fantasy points three times this season. The Cowboys will be the most popular defense by far, rightly so. If you're looking for some salary relief, I don't mind going all the way down to the Seattle Seahawks ($2,600) at home against the 49ers. It's not a great matchup, but these divisional games can be cagey and we've seen Purdy struggle at times with turnovers.