NFL DFS Rankings for DraftKings, FanDuel - Thanksgiving Day Picks for Cash and GPP Contests

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! I am so thankful to be a part of the RotoBaller family, and the feedback I’ve received from our members has been so encouraging. I hope that you are staying safe and enjoying all the goodness that the holiday season has for you.

We have a very fun slate ahead of us for Turkey Day. We open with the Lions defending their home field against a plucky Packers offense with a stable of young, hungry wide receivers. That’s followed up with Dallas getting gifted with an amazing matchup against the worst secondary in the league. Can Washington do anything on offense to keep this game close? Finally, our night is capped off with the 49ers heading to Seattle to face a banged-up Seahawks team. Both secondaries are vulnerable, so there could be fireworks in this one. Regardless, it’s going to be a great slate to watch as we spend time with our families and eat ourselves unconscious.

I’m super excited about this special Thanksgiving slate, and my goal is to create a hierarchy of plays so you know who to prioritize when building your lineups! Remember that this article is written on a Tuesday, so please make sure to check in with our Discord for any updates as practice reports come in throughout the week and a clearer picture starts to come into view. Also, be sure to check out all of our other great NFL DFS articles and NFL DFS tools to help you win big!

DraftKings NFL DFS Cash Rankings - Quarterbacks

1. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys - $6800)

Any quarterback facing the Commanders defense is a top-three option in cash games going forward. I don’t even say that in jest, look at what Tommy Devito just did against them. Dak Prescott is playing some of the best football of his career, scoring 24 or more DraftKings points in four of his last five games. 

He’s throwing a ton, with only two games of fewer than 30 attempts on the season. He’s got a stable of pass-catchers who make his life easier, including CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, and Jake Ferguson. Dak isn’t running a ton, but he does have more than ten rushing yards in six games this year and on a slate this small every point helps. He may be the chalkiest chalk that ever did chalk, but there’s just no way you should be fading him in this matchup on a three-game slate.

2. Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers - $6100)

3. Jared Goff (Detroit Lions - $6300)

DraftKings NFL DFS GPP Rankings - Quarterbacks

1. Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers - $6100)

As was written about above, Dak Prescott is the far and away best quarterback option on the slate and he should realistically be listed here as well. I don’t like to repeat narratives, so I’ll highlight Brock Purdy instead as he’s a late-game hammer in a great spot who should carry a significantly lower ownership than Prescott. 

Purdy has a two-game stretch where he struggled against Cleveland and Minnesota, but other than that he’s been rock solid all year. Purdy has 20 or more DraftKings points in six of his last eight games. He’s a hyper-efficient passer who keeps his target tree limited, making it much easier to stack him. You’re going to use one of Deebo Samuel or Brandon Aiyuk as your wide receiver and then George Kittle as your secondary option. Using Purdy is a way to get leverage off of Christian McCaffrey, although it’s not entirely out of the question to use McCaffrey as part of a 49ers stack.

Seattle has a vastly improved passing game since they got railroaded the first three weeks of the season, but vastly improved still doesn’t mean great. Seattle may not allow 300 or more yards per game anymore, but Sam Howell and Lamar Jackson had good games against them since that opening three-week stretch. San Francisco has one of the best offensive coaching staffs in the league and they will work to scheme up ways for their playmakers to take advantage of holes in the Seattle secondary. Purdy has as much upside as any quarterback on the slate and the talent around him to be a GPP-winning option.

"Brock Purdy became the only QB in 49ers history to have a perfect passer rating, when throwing more than 20 passes. That's special."

— @Chris_Broussard on if Purdy silenced his doubters, aka @getnickwright: pic.twitter.com/JPNGtI1Yub

— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) November 20, 2023

2. Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys - $6800)

3. Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers - $5500)

Others in consideration: Jared Goff, Geno Smith

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DraftKings NFL DFS Cash Rankings - Running Backs

1. Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers - $8700)

Some value may open up in Green Bay to give us a value chalk running back option, but that only makes it easier to roster Christian McCaffrey. He’s the safest player in all of fantasy, and on a slate this small is a must-start in cash games. He’s scored 20 or more DraftKings points in all but two games this year, and even in a tough matchup against a pass-funnel Buccaneers defense, he was able to score 21 fantasy points. 

His floor is as high as anyone since peak LaDanian Tomlinson, and getting him for less than $9,000 is a steal. In Week three he played on a Thursday night and San Francisco monitored his workload. Elijah Mitchell saw his most work of the year in that game, yet McCaffrey still had 23 touches and scored 22.9 DraftKings points. Don’t let a reduced workload narrative sway you from using him; he’s a lock and load in cash game lineups.

2. Zach Charbonnet (Seattle Seahawks - $5300)

3. Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions - $6800)

Others in consideration: AJ Dillon

DraftKings NFL DFS GPP Rankings - Running Backs

1. Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions - $6,800)

The Green Bay Packers struggle to stop anyone on the ground, and the Lions would be content to just run the ball 40 times a game if they could. Even last weekend when Austin Ekeler was held in check for the Chargers, Los Angeles still managed to give up 150 rushing yards. That was the fifth time this year they’ve allowed 145 or more rushing yards. Jahmyr Gibbs has moved past David Montgomery as the primary back for Detroit, getting a ton of work in the passing game and seeing usage inside the ten-yard line. 

He’s scored over 20 DraftKings points for four straight weeks, including two weeks with David Montgomery back in the lineup. He provided that upside despite only getting eight carries because of that passing game work; another six targets in Week 11, his fifth straight game of five or more targets. He’s not the safest running back on the slate, but few other players have the kind of game-breaking upside that Gibbs provides.

Remermber when Fantasy GMs grumbled about...

Jahmyr Gibbs.

Gibbs is the RB6 in fantasy points per game.

— Derek Brown (@DBro_FFB) November 20, 2023

2. David Montgomery (Detroit Lions - $6300)

3. Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys - $6700)

Others in consideration: Christian McCaffrey, Zach Charbonnet, Elijah Mitchell

DraftKings NFL DFS Cash Rankings - Wide Receivers

1. CeeDee Lamb (Dallas Cowboys - $8700)

It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to spend up for both Christian McCaffrey and CeeDee Lamb this week, but in a vacuum, it’s Lamb who projects as the safest receiving option on the slate. He has a fantastic matchup against the Commanders and is playing the best football of his career, receiving 53 targets over his last four weeks. He’s a dual threat, both downfield and in the red zone. He’s currently listed as questionable, but if he plays he’s the best and safest wide receiver on the slate by a wide margin.

2. Tyler Lockett (Seattle Seahawks - $6000)

3. Jayden Reed (Green Bay Packers - $5600)

Others in consideration: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Curtis Samuel

DraftKings NFL DFS GPP Rankings - Wide Receivers

1. Jayden Reed (Green Bay Packers - $4,200)

Jayden Reed finally saw a decent snap share in Week 11 (69% of the snaps, second on the team) and he rewarded those who rostered him with a second straight week of over 19 DraftKings points. Romeo Doubs may be the top receiving option, and Christian Watson may see more snaps, but when the Packers need a big play they look to Reed. He’s scored double-digit fantasy points in 60% of his games and has four or more targets in 80% of his games. 

He’s a spend-down option that you can use as part of a secondary stack or as a one-off to let you get to the higher-priced players like Christian McCaffrey and CeeDee Lamb. Just like last week, using Reed has more to do with what else you can do with your lineup rather than just what he brings to the table; yet you don’t sacrifice upside when you make the choice to use Reed to save money.

Jordan Love passer rating when targeting:

Jayden Reed (116.9)
Dontayvion Wicks (107.6)
Romeo Doubs (97.2)
...
Christian Watson (45.5)

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) November 20, 2023

2. DK Metcalf (Seattle Seahawks - $6500)

3. Brandin Cooks (Dallas Cowboys - $4500)

Others in consideration: CeeDee Lamb, Jameson Williams, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel

DraftKings NFL DFS Rankings - Tight Ends

1. Logan Thomas (Washington Commanders - $3500)

George Kittle has a much higher ceiling, and he’s fine for a GPP, but there is too much talent on this slate to spend that much money on a cash game tight end (especially if you want to spend up on D/ST). Logan Thomas is a fine option in cash as he has a reasonably predictable target floor. He’s had five or more targets and scored seven or more DraftKings points in each of his last five games. 

Washington is throwing more than any team in the history of the sport, and they are expected to play from behind in this game. Thomas should see more than enough targets to give you the kind of floor you’re looking for in cash games.

2. George Kittle (San Francisco 49ers - $6000)

3. Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys - $3900)

Others in consideration: Sam LaPorta

DraftKings NFL DFS Rankings - D/ST

1. Dallas Cowboys - $3800

This may very well be the cheapest you’ll get the Cowboys for the rest of the year, so you might as well take advantage of it. Dallas has one of the best matchups you can get, facing off against Sam Howell. He’s the most sacked quarterback in the league, and pressure leads to points for a fantasy defense. Dallas recorded three sacks or more in each of their last three games, and Sam Howell’s decision-making is suspect (at best). 

You never pick a defense based on the touchdowns they can score, but Dallas has a real knack for that this season. Deron Bland has returned four interceptions for touchdowns, and Dallas has added two additional defensive touchdowns. At only $200 more than the 49ers defense, it’s definitely worth spending up to lock down the best matchup on the slate.

2. San Francisco 49ers - $3600

3. Detroit Lions - $3200

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