The Cowboys play host to the Giants in an NFC East matchup in the second game of the annual Thanksgiving tripleheader. Dallas is currently favored by nine points, with the total set at 45.5, according to BetMGM. With several big-named skill position players suiting up (CeeDee Lamb, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, Dak Prescott, Daniel Jones), crafting Showdown lineups for one (or all) of Thursday's games is a fun way to get in the NFL DFS action.
Before we get into our lineup and strategy, here are the key scoring settings for DraftKings Showdown contests: They're full-point PPR and there are three-point bonuses for 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and 100 receiving yards. The Captain pick costs 1.5 times a player's original price, but he also gets his point total multiplied by 1.5.
MORE DK SHOWDOWN: How to win a Showdown contest
DraftKings Showdown Picks: Cowboys vs. Giants Week 12 Thanksgiving matchup
$50,000 budget, need at least one player from each team.
Captain (1.5x points, 1.5x salary): WR CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys ($16,200)
Despite a tough matchup, we're rostering Lamb as our Captain. He enters Week 12 with the fifth-highest target share among WRs (30.6 percent) to go along with averaging 2.67 yards per route run (eighth). Lamb had his way against the Giants back in Week 3, posting his second-highest fantasy point output (22.7 DK points) when he racked up eight receptions for 87 yards and a TD on 12 targets from Cooper Rush. Expect a high usage day from Lamb on Turkey Day.
MORE COWBOYS-GIANTS: Betting odds, pick
FLEX QB Dak Prescott, Cowboys ($11,000)
Prescott has been consistent since returning from his thumb injury, scoring 20-plus DK fantasy points in three-of-four games. Dak's always capable of tossing two-plus TDs and having a solid showing through the air thanks to Dallas' weapons, and if he gets ample protection from his offensive line, he could really torch the Giants' defense. Dallas has the third-highest clean pocket completion percentage (77.2 percent), so even though Prescott is not the runner he used to be, he's still a threat to score a few extra fantasy points with his legs.
THANKSGIVING DFS: DK lineup | FD lineup
FLEX RB Tony Pollard, Cowboys ($9,800)
Pollard has been on fire the past four weeks, ranking as the RB2 in PPR formats over that span. He's coming off an impressive 189-total-yard output last week against the Vikings and is always a threat to make a big play. Pollard could be a popular Captain pick, but we'll shy away from putting him in that spot, as Ezekiel Elliott is still a big factor in Dallas' offense.
MORE SINGLE-GAME DFS: Bills-Lions | Pats-Vikings
FLEX QB Daniel Jones, Giants ($9,200)
While Jones has notched just one win over the Cowboys in his career, he has a chance to put up a decent fantasy showing. With Dallas pegged as nine-point favorites, there's a shot the Giants play from behind, resulting in the Giants employing a more pass-heavy approach. Dallas' pass rush is scary, but Jones' solid escapability can lead to him extending plays outside the pocket. Jones rushed for 79 yards on an efficient 1.9 EPA/rush against Dallas in Week 3, and another big rushing day will be a solid boost for DFS players.
WEEK 12 DFS LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
FLEX WR Isaiah Hodgins, Giants ($2,200)
With Wan'Dale Robinson suffering a torn ACL in last week's game, Hodgins is going to see a larger snap count moving forward. Hodgins logged the second-highest snap count among Giants WRs last week (45 snaps), and another high snap count will give him an opportunity to put up decent-enough fantasy numbers. At $2,200, rostering Hodgins is a worthwhile gamble with the Giants likely airing it out a good deal.
FLEX TE Lawrence Cager, Giants ($1,200)
Similar to Hodgins, Cager's snap count is increasing due to injury. He played 56 snaps in Week 11 and seems poised for a similar number this week with Daniel Bellinger (eye) already ruled out. At $1,200, Cager doesn't need to do much to return value.
