Daily Fantasy Football Picks and Helper: Thanksgiving Slate

The Thanksgiving Day slate is one of the most highly anticipated DFS slates of the season, and this year, four teams that currently rank in the top 10 of Super Bowl odds -- per FanDuel Sportsbook -- will be competing.

Let's take a look at some of the best daily fantasy football plays at each position -- accounting for salary -- on FanDuel's Thanksgiving main slate.

Slate Overview

Here is a snapshot of each team's outlook, including opponent, over/under, and spread based on FanDuel Sportsbook odds, as well as opponent defensive ranks for overall defense, pass defense, and rush defense, based on numberFire's Net Expected Points (NEP) model.

Quarterbacks

Dak Prescott ($8,500) will likely be the chalk QB play, but don't let his popularity deter you -- he is the best signal-caller option on the board.

Prescott is averaging more FanDuel points (20.02) than any other passer on the slate, and he's projected for 22.3 FanDuel points (most), per numberFire's model, against the Washington Commanders.

Not only do the Cowboys have a slate-high 30.5-point implied total, but the Commanders give up more fantasy points to quarterbacks than any other team in the league. Prescott's fantasy ceiling this year sits at a lofty 38.86 points. His salary isn't the easiest to fit into a lineup, but the average QB salary for this slate stands at $7,516 -- all things considered, this is a fair deal.

The annual Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving Day game brings a much more hopeful Lions team than in recent years, but Jared Goff ($7,800) probably isn't the QB to side with on this slate. The Green Bay Packers give up the 10th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks, while they allow running backs the sixth-most fantasy points. Detroit has the most dominant one-two RB punch in football and may look to win this game on the ground. I imagine Goff's medium upside paired with a decent roster rate won't reap too many benefits for Goff backers.

In terms of sleeper options, Jordan Love ($7,200) is the under-the-radar pick to ride with. Love's receivers can be dodgy, but Green Bay's injury report shows us that running the ball might not be much of an option on Thursday. The Lions let up the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and if this game goes according to script, Love and the Packers will employ a pass-first offense as they look to come from behind. A potentially low roster rate and high upside could make going out on a limb with Love a solid move.

Running Backs

This three-game slate is loaded at the running back position.

Christian McCaffrey ($9,800) is the highest-salary play on the board, but he is averaging 22.03 FanDuel points and will go up against a Seattle Seahawks team that allows the 10th-most fantasy points to his position. CMC's 45.2-point ceiling makes him a scary option to fade, and there are alternate salary-saving options that could fare well on this slate, so it shouldn't be too hard to find the salary for him.

Tony Pollard ($7,200) has been super disappointing fantasy-wise all season, but this may be the game where he shines brightest. Rico Dowdle, who's been eating up 18.1% of Dallas' red zone rush share, is questionable, and Washington gives up the third-most fantasy points to running backs. Add in the Cowboys' slate-high implied team total and Pollard's somewhat modest salary, and he profiles as a sound play.

Jahmyr Gibbs ($8,200) and David Montgomery ($7,800) make up a two-headed running back machine, and it would be ill-advised to fade them altogether. Gibbs has more ways to rack up fantasy points -- he plays a sizable role in both the pass and rush offense, receiving 5.5 targets to Montgomery's 1.7.

Although Gibbs has overtaken Montgomery in red zone rush share over the past two weeks, on the season, Montgomery has a 61.8% red zone rush share to Gibbs' 30.0%. It's hard to forget that Montgomery showed out for three touchdowns and a season-high 33.1 FanDuel points against the Packers in Week 4.

Zach Charbonnet ($5,800) becomes a viable low-salary option if Kenneth Walker III is ruled out. If that happens, Charbonnet is really easy to like at his salary.

Keep an eye out for the running back situation over in Green Bay. Aaron Jones is out (knee), A.J. Dillon (groin) has been limited in practice this week, and Emanuel Wilson has just been placed on the IR. Siding with a no-name Packers' back is more likely to break than make your lineup, but it's probably the best place to look if you are searching for a low-salary, low-rostered player with any possibility for upside.

Wide Receivers

CeeDee Lamb ($9,200) is projected for more fantasy points (16.9) than any other receiver on this slate and will face a team that gives up more fantasy points to his position than any other team in the league. If you can get to both him and Prescott, good on you. After all, this is the most evident QB-WR stack on the slate.

But if Lamb's high salary and ugly floor (three games this season with fewer than 10 FanDuel points) is too much to bear, Brandin Cooks ($5,700) might be worth a look. The majority of Cooks' season has been underwhelming, but he exploded for 27.8 FanDuel points in a Week 10 rout against the New York Giants. If Prescott can hang as many points on the Commanders' weak pass defense as he did the Giants' D, Cooks will likely get in on the fun.

Amon-Ra St. Brown ($8,500) is always worth a look and has more consistent output than Lamb. ARSB's mind-boggling 85.7% red zone target share over the last two games has him projected for 16.4 FanDuel points (second-most) this week. He's given us no reason not to like him in fantasy, but with that being said, I'd probably be more keen on having Lamb and either Montgomery or Gibbs in my lineup, as opposed to getting to both Lamb and St. Brown.

If you can't get CMC in your lineup, then Brandon Aiyuk ($7,800) and Deebo Samuel ($6,700) must be given consideration. The San Francisco 49ers have made a statement by putting up 61 points over their last two games, and Seattle's pass defense is as middle of the pack as it gets.

Romeo Doubs ($6,200) and Christian Watson ($5,600) are viable lower-salary options, especially if you are using Love. The Green Bay receivers are pretty inconsistent, but the Lions sacrifice enough fantasy points to wideouts to make Doubs and Watson realistic options.

Tight Ends

George Kittle ($7,200) has been dominant as of late, averaging 19.1 FanDuel points across his last three games.

The other notable tight ends on this slate -- Sam LaPorta ($6,500) and Jake Ferguson ($6,100) -- aren't bad options, either. LaPorta is an end-zone threat, while Ferguson offers great stacking upside with Prescott.

I'd feel good with either LaPorta or Ferguson, but it's probably worth forking up a tad more salary to get to Kittle. He's riding with a team-high 27.9% target share and 25.0% end-zone target share over San Francisco's last four games.

Defenses

If salary is no object, there are two clear defenses to target on Thursday -- the Dallas Cowboys ($5,000) and the San Francisco 49ers ($4,500).

The Cowboys D/ST is averaging 12.9 FanDuel points and will be playing a Washington team that allows the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing defenses. Sam Howell leads the league (tied) in interceptions (12) and has been sacked a towering 51 times this season, which is 13 more sacks than the next-closest QB. The Dallas' defense has scored 20-plus FanDuel points three times this season, including one 37-point performance. They serve as a rare instance in which salary is worth spending on defense.

The Seahawks' injury report is long-winded this week, which could make the 49ers a great option, as well. Although Geno Smith is expected to play, he doesn't seem to be 100% healthy. The 49ers have forced the second-most takeaways (19) and have combined for 29 FanDuel points over their last two.

Be sure to check out all of the Week 12 daily fantasy football contests on FanDuel.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.