NFL DFS WR Picks, Thanksgiving Day: Week 12 WR Coach
Welcome to the FREE preview of the NFL Week 12 DFS Playbook for Thanksgiving Day 2023!
Welcome to the WR Coach, where each week I share the top wide receiver picks, stacks, value plays and fades for daily fantasy football contests on DraftKings and FanDuel. After reading, you should have a clear picture not just of who the top NFL DFS WR picks are for the week, but also WHY they’re good plays. This should help you become a better fantasy player on top of being set up to win each week.
When you’re done here, be sure to check out our QB picks, RB picks, TE picks, and D/ST picks in those respective “Coach” articles here at Fantasy Alarm.
NFL DFS WR Picks: Best WR Plays For Thanksgiving
You couldn’t ask for a more loaded wide receiver pool on a three-game slate. On Thanksgiving, NFL DFS contests will be won and lost based on your picks at the WR position. There’s slate-busting potential here, plus some sleepers and value plays that could separate your lineups from the rest of the pack.
Top Thanksgiving DFS WR Picks
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb is going to be a very popular pick. I think he might be the highest-owned receiver on the slate, and I also could see a lot of people trying to pair Lamb with Amon-Ra St. Brown to roster the two best fantasy WRs on the slate.
Lamb was “quiet” against Carolina last week, but still caught six passes and found the end zone for the third time in his last four games. The matchup is far easier this week, as Washington has been one of the most generous defenses to wide receivers in DFS this season. Dallas could put up 40 points in this game, and this is a prime spot for Lamb to have another 10+ reception and 100+ yard game. For what it’s worth, Lamb scored in both games against Washington last season too. Lamb will be a very popular WR play for a reason.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
Despite Jared Goff playing his worst game of the season, St. Brown still found his way into 20+ fantasy points in a PPR setup. St. Brown has an elite floor and ceiling, which is a beautiful blend for DFS purposes. He has at least 100 yards receiving or a touchdown in every game this season. That’s insane consistency and puts him in play as an elite WR pick every week.
Over the last five weeks, St. Brown is averaging 9.4 receptions and 113.4 yards per game. I think this continues, which means on a DFS NFL site that uses PPR like DraftKings, he should have a 20-point floor and could pop off for even more in this matchup. St. Brown had 56 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay earlier this year, and while he hasn’t decimated the Green Bay defense through his career, it’s hard to fade his floor and ceiling in any given week. He is a top WR pick once again this Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving DFS WR Mid-Tier Plays
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Samuel shined in the playoff game last year against Seattle, and he actually led San Francisco in targets in that game. I know, apples to oranges, it’s a different year (let alone a different DFS slate), but Samuel has a productive history against the Seahawks. I expect the 49ers to be creative with Samuel in order to exploit a Seattle defense that has been better against the pass in recent weeks.
Samuel is a touchdown threat every time the football hits his hands, and he should be able to get double-digit fantasy points on his usual 6-8 opportunities per game in this matchup. We want those precious targets and touches in all of our DFS WR picks!
George Kittle had a long touchdown the other week, Brandon Aiyuk had it last week, so naturally, it’s Deebo’s turn! Consider him a solid WR play on Thanksgiving.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
I was holding out to see what Geno Smith's availability would like, and reports are that he's expected to play. However, being expected to play and being fully healthy are two totally different things. Rather than pay up for the likes of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, why not look to Smith-Njigba, who is cheaper and has at least five targets in four of his last five games. The San Francisco corners are beatable, and Deommodore Lenoir has been playing in the slot more of late. Over the last two weeks, Lenoir has allowed all six of his targets in sot coverage to be caught, good for 67 yards and a 113.2 passer rating, per Pro Football Focus.
Jahan Dotson, Washington Commanders
A Cowboys stack figures to be quite popular on this slate, so if funds are running a bit tight, you can bring it back with Jahan Dotson. Washington throws it a ton, and will be playing from behind in this game. In fact, Sam Howell has 40+ pass attempts in five straight games, and in seven of his last eight! That’s the type of volume we want exposure to in our NFL DFS contests.
Dotson has received at least four targets in all but one of his last five games, and he’s a cost-effective option to pair on the other side of your Dallas stack.
Also, I’ll be completely honest, but I have a gut feeling on Dyami Brown this week, so I’ll give him a head nod here. Consider Dotson a viable WR pick, while Brown is my WR sleeper.
Thanksgiving DFS WR Value Plays
Jameson Williams, Detroit Lions
On a small three-game slate, you have to be creative with some of your WR picks, and Williams is a home-run threat. If you stack Detroit against Green Bay, take a chance on Jared Goff hitting Williams for a 30+ yard touchdown and easily giving you the ROI you need. Williams is a boom-or-bust guy, and while he only received three targets last week, his 65% snap share was his highest in a game this season. The Detroit running backs should have their way against a poor Green Bay run defense, but when Goff does drop back to throw it, Williams should have at least one chance to get behind the secondary for a big gain. The epitome of a high-upside DFS WR value play.
Jayden Reed, Green Bay Packers
This Packers offense NEEDS Jayden Reed, and it may even prove to be more true without Aaron Jones. Reed’s 69% snap share last week was his second-highest mark of the entire season, and he turned seven touches (4 receptions, 3 carries) into 92 yards and a touchdown.
In DFS, we love to pick WRs who are likely to get lots of targets and touches, and Green Bay should continue to be creative to get the ball into his hands. Targeting slot receivers against Detroit has been a profitable DFS strategy this season, too. In a game where Green Bay will need to score, Reed is my preferred WR pick.
Jalen Tolbert, Dallas Cowboys
If you are looking to stack Dallas pass catchers, or you need to take a flier on a cheap receiver to save some salary, look to Tolbert. Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup may attract more attention, but be contrarian and look to Tolbert as a sneaky sleeper pick.
The young wideout has five targets in three straight games, and he has played in at least 41% of the offensive snaps in each of his last four games. Meanwhile, Michael Gallup has seen his snap share decrease in not one, not two, not three, not four, but five straight weeks!
You have to be a little different on small slates like this one, and Tolbert could be the precise pathway we need. As mentioned above with my CeeDee Lamb pick, Washington has been putrid against receivers and make for a juicy to target to pick on with our daily fantasy wideouts.
Player News
Saints TE Foster Moreau said the QB1 role is “anyone’s job for the taking.”
It’s possible Moreau is just trying to speak positively of a quarterback room that could be in flux for much of the 2025 season, but the veteran tight end said neither Tyler Shough or Spencer Rattler did much to separate themselves from one another during offseason programs. Shough was selected at No. 40 overall by the Saints in this year’s draft, and will almost certainly get a chance to start at some point in the season, but Rattler could also get a look after throwing for 1,317-4-5 in seven games as a rookie. Rattler only completed 57 percent of his passes last season, and doesn’t have much promise as a fifth-round pick, but there may be room for him to see some action in what might be the worst QB room in the league this season. Regardless, this competition will one to watch throughout the offseason as first-year head coach Kellen Moore hopes to find a reliable option come Week 1.
Free agent RB Nyheim Hines said he is hoping to sign with a team before training camp.
Hines suffered a torn ACL during a jet-ski accident in 2023 and hasn’t played an NFL game since. The running back/return man said he believes his knee is now fully recovered and is hoping he can join a team before the start of training camp. Hines caught 30 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown in 2022 while splitting time with the Colts and Bills, and also returned 19 kicks for 554 yards and two scores. At 28 years old, there should be plenty of teams interested in giving him a look due to his special teams prowess and abilities in the passing game, but he’ll be far from a lock to make a roster wherever he lands.
Speaking on the Giants Huddle podcast, TE Theo Johnson said he is healthy after undergoing foot surgery last season.
Johnson caught 29 passes for 331 yards and one touchdown last season, but saw his rookie campaign come to an end due to a foot injury. Now healthy and ready to get back to work, the second-year tight end is hopeful he can continue where he left off before his injury, when he went for 26-293-1 over an eight-game stretch. It’s far from elite production, but Johnson posted an impressive 9.93 RAS during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and averaged a solid 12.2 YPR during his four years at Penn State. He won’t be on the fantasy radar to start the season, but Johnson could have some upside if he emerges as a primary receiving threat this season.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain says Ben Johnson “seemed confident” that Luther Burden (soft tissue) would be ready at the start of training camp.
Burden has been sidelined for most of the offseason while dealing with an undisclosed injury. The rookie second-rounder also remains unsigned. While it’s been a slow start to Burden’s pro career, a return by training camp should give him plenty of time to get up to speed before the start of the season. Even when Burden acclimates himself to the offense, he’ll likely slot in as the team’s No. 3 receiver with Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore expected to serve as the primary options in two receiver sets. Burden makes for an intriguing late-round pick in deeper leagues, but is unlikely to enter the season with much fantasy upside.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said Terry McLaurin is “not happy with where things are with an extension.”
Fowler adds that the Commanders have “a couple of weeks here to make progress” before training camp begins on July 22. McLaurin has skipped all offseason workouts thus far, so it stands to reason he could continue the absentee strategy later this month. Training camp is a critical time for NFL teams, allowing players to safely ramp up ahead of preseason play, not to mention the regular season. McLaurin profiles as a fantasy football WR2 this year.
The Athletic’s Mark Puleo reports, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh “has been added as a defendant in a class-action lawsuit filed by 11 anonymous students against former University of Michigan offensive coordinator Matt Weiss.”
Weiss “has been accused of hacking the email, social media and cloud storage accounts of thousands of female athletes and downloading intimate photos and videos.” Per Puleo, “the amended complaint... alleges that Harbaugh” and “university officials knew that Weiss had been accessing the plaintiffs’ private information when they allowed him to coach in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, 2022.” Harbaugh previously told reporters that “he didn’t learn of allegations involving Weiss until after the Fiesta Bowl,” saying he was “completely shocked” and “disturbed” upon hearing the allegations. Weiss has worked for both Jim and John Harbaugh, dating back to 2007; Stanford (2007-2008) and Michigan (2021-2022) with Jim, and the Ravens (2009-2020) with John. Jim coached at Michigan from 2015-2023. Per Puleo, “allegations of computer hacking against Weiss date to 2015, when he was with Baltimore.” Neither Michigan nor the Chargers responded to Puleo’s request for a comment.