NFL DFS Week 13 Lineup for Thanksgiving main slate on DraftKings

Eddie Brown, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Nov 26, 2025

Published in Football

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

It’s hard not to be thankful for the three games the NFL has bestowed upon us this Thanksgiving.

All three have playoff implications. All three have high game totals, and mostly tight spreads. Plus, there’s the return of Joe Burrow if you can outlast the tryptophan, and stay awake for the nightcap.

The most common way the field will approach this slate will be to mix and match from each game. They will include a quarterback with two of his teammates along with one of his opponents. Then they’ll likely include one player from each team from each of the other two games, and a defense that stacks with one of their running backs.

That’s simply not enough variance to take down a contest like the DraftKings’ Thanksgiving Milly Maker that includes close to 600,000 entrants.

I prefer targeting a specific game environment and overstacking it with five or six players. Then I create a ministack from a second game.

I hope everyone enjoys themselves, and good times spent with family and friends.

Help yourself to seconds and thirds (and fourths if you’re so inclined), but fight the urge to include a player from every team simply to cover your bases.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Preamble

Devising the perfect Daily Fantasy Sports strategy for the NFL can be a challenge, which is why I’m here weekly to assist.

On DraftKings, it’s important to remember you’re playing full-point PPR with bonuses if a player surpasses 300 passing yards, 100 rushing yards or 100 receiving yards.

Here is my optimal lineup for today’s NFL $2.5 million Fantasy Football Millionaire contest, but it can be utilized as a foundation in other games and platforms.

All prices listed are courtesy of DraftKings with a $50,000 budget.

Week 13 Thanksgiving main slate lineup

— QB: Jordan Love, Packers ($5,500)

I’m overstacking Green Bay with the Packers likely having the lowest ownership collectively on the slate. The last four matchups with the Lions in Detroit have produced an average game total of 51.75 points, with two of the four hitting at least 65. It may seem like I’m fading the Lions, but au contraire mon frère, I actually need Detroit to push the action for this to work. I’m envisioning this playing out similarly to the Packers and Cowboys 40-40 tie at Dallas in Week 4. Love threw a season-high 43 passes, and that volume led to 357 yards and three touchdowns.

— RB: Derrick Henry, Ravens ($7,300)

Henry vs. the Bengals’ run defense? Duh.

— RB: Josh Jacobs, Packers ($6,800)

The Lions have been stingy against opposing running backs, allowing the third-fewest fantasy points this season, but Jacobs produced 70 total yards and a TD against them in Week 1. He’s also been active out of the backfield this season, with at least four receptions in five of his last seven healthy games.

— WR: CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys ($6,900)

George Pickens ($7,000) actually costs more this week, but this could be a sneaky smash spot for Lamb against the Chiefs, who allow the fourth-highest slot target percentage (35.7%) in the NFL. He’s due.

— WR: Christian Watson, Packers ($4,700)

Watson looks like Green Bay’s WR1 since he’s been back. The Lions’ secondary plays the third-highest rate of single high in the NFL (60.5%). According to Fantasy Pros, Watson has led the Packers with a 28% first-read share against single high since Week 10.

— WR: Romeo Doubs, Packers ($4,600)

Doubs has been Green Bay’s most consistent wide receiver this season, and he’s second to Watson with a 20% first-read share against single high since Week 10.

— TE: Mark Andrews, Ravens ($3,600)

Tight ends smash the Bengals. Duh.

— FLEX: Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals ($8,000)

You could swap Pickens in for Lamb, and go with Amon-Ra St. Brown here to include a bring-back with the Packers overstack, but I prefer stacking Chase with Henry and Andrews. With Burrow back, only Jahmyr Gibbs can match Chase’s ceiling on Thanksgiving.

— DST: Green Bay Packers ($2,600)

The Packers are the best defense on this slate and priced minimally compared to their ceiling.

____