Week 13 kicks off Thursday with a three-game Thanksgiving Day NFL Yahoo DFS slate. The first course is Packers-Lions at 1 p.m. EST, followed by Chiefs-Cowboys at 4:30, with an 8:20 matchup between the Bengals and Ravens for dessert. Yahoo will also run its usual main slate NFL DFS contests Sunday, but Thursday's Thanksgiving action and Friday's one-game slate are more than just appetizers.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) Yahoo DFS football contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS football contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. NFL DFS Yahoo lineups consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Yahoo DFS picks for Thanksgiving include QB, RB, WR and TE options all facing defenses that have been among the worst in the league at defending those respective positions.
QUARTERBACK
Patrick Mahomes, KC at DAL ($41): Mahomes will have to keep his foot on the gas for the rest of the season, as Kansas City is just 6-5 and wouldn't qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today. The star QB threw for 352 yards against the Colts in Week 12, and Mahomes' 271 passing yards per game are the most in the league for any QB with at least three starts this season. He's poised to deliver another big passing performance against a Dallas defense that has allowed a league-high 24 passing TDs. Mahomes also contributes plenty of value with his legs, with four rushing TDs and 29 rushing yards per game this season.
Honorable Mentions:
Lamar Jackson, BAL at CIN ($39); Joe Burrow, CIN vs. BAL ($34); Jordan Love, GB at DET ($29)
RUNNING BACK
Derrick Henry, BAL vs. CIN ($36): Henry has carried Baltimore's offense in recent weeks while Lamar Jackson has struggled since returning from a hamstring injury. The workhorse RB has 20-plus touches in each of the Ravens' last six games, with five rushing TDs in that span and an average of 92.3 rushing yards per game. Baltimore's plan A will likely be to give Henry the ball until the Bengals prove they can stop him. The latter point may not be reached all game, as Cincinnati's defense has been the worst in the league at defending RBs, allowing a league-high 177 scrimmage yards per game to the position and the second-most total TDs (15) to RBs.
Chase Brown, CIN at BAL ($32): Brown got off to a slow start but has found his groove, producing at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the past six games. In Week 12, Brown became the first RB this season to exceed 100 rushing yards against the Patriots, so he brings plenty of momentum into this matchup with a Ravens defense that ranks in the middle of the pack at defending the position. Cincinnati's entire offense could get a major boost with the expected return of star QB Joe Burrow (toe), and more targets could be available for Brown in the passing game due to the absence of WR Tee Higgins (concussion).
Honorable Mentions:
Jahmyr Gibbs, DET vs. GB ($46); Kareem Hunt, KC at DAL ($24); Emanuel Wilson, GB at DET ($19)
WIDE RECEIVER
CeeDee Lamb, DAL vs. KC ($34): Lamb has been outplayed by George Pickens ($39) in recent weeks, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the pendulum swing back Lamb's way Thursday, especially since Pickens is dealing with knee and calf injuries. With four WRs costing at least $37, Lamb's a nice value at $34 considering he certainly has enough talent to finish as the highest Thanksgiving Yahoo DFS scorer at the position. Lamb has at least 66 receiving yards in every game he's played this season except one that he departed early due to injury, and he has three with at least 110. Even against a stout Kansas City secondary, Lamb's capable of feasting on Thanksgiving.
Xavier Worthy, KC at DAL ($22): Worthy has faded to the third option in Kansas City's passing game behind Rashee Rice ($37) and Travis Kelce ($20), but Worthy's elite speed could allow him to shine against a Dallas secondary that loves to gamble for interceptions. Always one poor angle or missed tackle away from breaking off a big play, Worthy's a nice value regardless of whether you stack him with Mahomes. The Cowboys have allowed a league-high 18 receiving TDs to WRs, which is at least three more than every other team.
Christian Watson, GB at DET ($17): Detroit is tied for the second-most receiving TDs allowed to WRs (15), and Watson is the Packers WR with the best chance of adding to that total. His season debut was delayed until Week 8, but he has at least four targets and 45 receiving yards in all five games he has played in 2025, emerging as the Packers' top pass-catcher following Tucker Kraft's season-ending knee injury. Green Bay has leaned heavily on the run but may have little choice but to turn to the passing game more against a Lions defense that's holding RBs to fewer than 4.0 yards per carry but allowing almost 8.0 yards per target to WRs.
Honorable Mentions:
Ja'Marr Chase, CIN at BAL ($38); Zay Flowers, BAL vs. CIN ($27); Jameson Williams, DET vs. GB ($22)
TIGHT END
Mark Andrews, BAL vs. CIN ($17): Cincinnati has been the worst defense in the league against TEs and it isn't close. The Bengals have surrendered 962 receiving yards and 13 TDs to the position, while no other team has allowed more than 799 yards or seven TDs. Andrews is having a down year by his standards but continues to work as the clear No. 1 TE option for Baltimore and has four total TDs in his last four games, bringing him to 18 TDs in his last 23 regular-season starts. He's likely to find pay dirt against the Bengals, especially since Andrews has earned a couple of additional touches per game recently as a big-bodied option taking snaps under center in Baltimore's version of the tush push, in addition to his customary usage at TE.
Honorable Mentions:
Travis Kelce, KC at DAL ($20); Jake Ferguson, DAL vs. KC ($18); Mike Gesicki, CIN at BAL ($10)
DEFENSE
Detroit Lions vs. GB ($12): Detroit has the best mix of performance, price and matchup. The Lions' average of 6.6 fantasy points per game is the highest among the six defenses available in the Thanksgiving Yahoo DFS slate, and Detroit will host a Packers offense that averaged just 17.5 points per game in its last four. Star RB Josh Jacobs may not be at his best even if he returns from a one-game absence due to a knee injury, and the Lions would be in good shape if they can force Jordan Love to try to beat them with his arm considering Love has thrown only two touchdown passes in his last four starts and averaged 163 passing yards in his last three.
Honorable Mentions:
Baltimore Ravens, BAL vs. CIN ($15); Green Bay Packers at DET )$14); Cincinnati Bengals at BAL ($10)
