You always want to get your fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em decisions started off right when there's only one Thursday game. That's triply important during the three-game midweek feast offered by the NFL on Thanksgiving.
Starting with the Packers-Lions matchup (12:30 p.m. ET, Fox), continuing with the Commanders-Cowboys contest (4:30 p.m. ET, CBS, and finishing with the 49ers-Seahawks nightcap (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), there is plenty of fantasy football intrigue to digest with your turkey and stuffing.
For some, the action again might be casual to avoid talking to annoying relatives; In fantasy, however, it's a critical Week 12 with the season-long playoffs just around the corner. Here's breaking down start/sit recommendations for all three games:
THANKSGIVING DFS:
DK full slate | FD full slate | GB-DET | WAS-DAL | SF-SEA
Packers at Lions Start 'em, Sit 'em
Packers starts and sits
Start: QB Jordan Love, WR Jayden Reed, WR Romeo Doubs
Sit: RB AJ Dillon, WR Christian Watson, K Anders Carlson, D/ST
Sleeper: TE Tucker Kraft
Love is locked in most with Reed and Doubs, with Watson taking on a low-volume, boom-or-bust role. There should be plenty of attempts for Love, who's hot again. He finished as QB12 in the first meeting with 246 passing yards and two total TDs in Week 4. He should be started only in deeper leagues and superflex. Reed is a WR2, Doubs is a WR3.
Dillon has a brutal matchup filling in for injured Aaron Jones (knee) against a good power run defense. Kraft has a chance here if desperate at tight end with fellow rookie Luke Musgrave (abdomen) out and Josiah Deguara also hurt. The Lions can give it up well to the position.
MORE THANKSGIVING NFL: ATS picks | Best props
Lions starts and sits
Start: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, RB David Montgomery, TE Sam LaPorta
Sit: QB Jared Goff, WR Josh Reynolds, K Riley Patterson, D/ST
Sleeper: WR Jameson Williams
Amon-Ra keeps crushing it every week, and Gibbs and Montgomery have found the perfect RB1 harmony back healthy together. LaPorta has been quiet of late after a historic rookie start, but he can get involved well this week and remains a must-start.
Goff won't need to put up a big game in a positive game script, especially with Gibbs and Montgomery trading most of the TDs. Because of that red-zone rushing prowess, Patterson isn't a big field-goal guy. Williams is worth (literally) a deep shot if you're hurting at WR3.
WEEK 12 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Commanders vs. Cowboys Start 'em, Sit 'em
Commanders starts and sits
Start: WR Terry McLaurin, TE Logan Thomas
Sit: QB Sam Howell, RB Brian Robinson Jr., WR Jahan Dotson, K Joey Slye, D/ST
Sleeper: WR Curtis Samuel
McLaurin doesn't have the greatest matchup, but he's still their No. 1, which makes him a borderline WR3 in most leagues. Thomas and Samuel can see a lot of short-area targets with Howell under siege by the Cowboys' pass rush.
Howell is hard to trust with his turnovers and propensity to come up small when pressured into mistakes. Robinson and Antonio Gibson, if he plays through a toe injury, face a tough front. Dotson might see a lot of Daron Bland, so forget it.
WEEK 12 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Cowboys starts and sits
Start: QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb, RB Tony Pollard, TE Jake Ferguson, WR Brandin Cooks, K Brandon Aubrey, D/ST
Sit: WR Michael Gallup
Sleeper: WR KeVontae Turpin
Roll out your main Cowboys with confidence, especially in the passing game, as the Commanders can't slow down Lamb or Cooks with a pathetic pass rush and even worse coverage. Ferguson has a good chance for a nice yardage day with a possible return to the end zone. Aubrey has been awesome, along with the D/ST. If you're looking for a (literal) deep shot, go with Turpin making a long scoring play over Gallup.
WEEK 12 FANTASY ADVICE:
Sleepers | Busts | Projections | Start-sit
49ers vs. Seahawks Start 'em, Sit 'em
49ers starts and sits
Start: QB Brock Purdy, RB Christian McCaffrey, WR Brandon Aiyuk, WR Deebo Samuel, TE George Kittle, K Jake Moody, D/ST
Sit: WR Jauan Jennings
Sleeper: RB Elijah Mitchell
You can't spell MVP without CMCM, and Purdy is on a heater locked into all of his weapons. Aiyuk and Kittle keep delivering downfield and in the red zone, and Samuel, even as the "odd man out," has strong WR3 value. Moody keeps getting tack-on field goals to help the Niners rack up points.
Even down Talanoa Hufanga, the 49ers are back as a trusted fantasy playmaking D. Mitchell might get a cleanup shot here late, as he did score in the playoff matchup last season.
Seahawks starts and sits
Start: WR DK Metcalf, WR Tyler Lockett, K Jason Myers
Sit: RB Zach Charbonnet, QB Geno Smith (or QB Drew Lock), WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, D/ST, TE Noah Fant
Sleeper: RB DeeJay Dallas
Metcalf and Lockett stay in your lineup regardless of the QB and should get big targets in a negative game script vs. a secondary with some holes. Myers has been an elite scorer at his position. Yes, Charbonnet has a great opportunity for an injured Kenneth Walker III (oblique), but this matchup is brutal. Don't be surprised if the veteran Dallas has to be on the field often early and late. The healthy starting Seattle QB is a fade, and so are peripheral passing weapons.
WEEK 12 DFS:
DK lineup | FD lineup | Best values | Best stacks
FanDuel NFL Thanksgiving cash game lineup picks
- QB: Dak Prescott, DAL, $8,500
- RB: Christian McCaffrey, SF, $9,800
- RB: David Montgomery, DET, $7,800
- WR: Brandon Aiyuk, SF, $7,800
- WR: Tyler Lockett, SEA, $6,600
- WR: Curtis Samuel, WAS, $5,600
- TE: Tucker Kraft, GB, $4,300
- FLEX: Brandin Cooks, DAL, $5,700
- D/ST: Packers, $3,500
This build was all about getting Dak and CMC in there as the principal stars. Montgomery and Aiyuk have become high-floor players, and Lockett is safer than Metcalf. Samuel and Kraft are the cheap sleepers. Cooks has a terrific matchup. The Packers were what we could afford, so we're viewing D/ST as a semi-punt play.
DraftKings NFL Thanksgiving tournament lineup picks
- QB: Jordan Love, GB, $5,500
- RB: Tony Pollard, DAL, $6,700
- RB: David Montgomery, DET, $6,300
- WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, DET, $8,500
- WR: CeeDee Lamb, DAL, $8,700
- WR: Curtis Samuel, WAS, $3,600
- TE: Tucker Kraft, GB, $2,500
- FLEX: Brandin Cooks, DAL, $4,500
- D/ST: 49ers, $3,600
The Love-Kraft cheap stack and the Samuel value opened up the rest of the lineup for some studly loading up on the two best wide receivers on the slate. We're also attached very well to a Cowboys' offense that should rack up big points. The 49ers' defense is a nice finishing touch.
