The second of three games on Thanksgiving features the Las Vegas Raiders hitting the road to take on the Dallas Cowboys. The Raiders enter at 5-5 and have lost three straight games and are third in the AFC West. The Cowboys are suffering from big injuries on offense and lost their Week 11 game to the Kansas City Chiefs, 19-9. They still sit atop the NFC East and are needing a win this week to stay there.
All prices via DraftKings.
Injuries
LV RB Kenyan Drake - off final injury report but dealing with a knee injury
DAL WR Amari Cooper - out, Covid-19
DAL WR CeeDee Lamb - questionable with concussion
DAL RB Ezekiel Elliot - off final injury report but dealing with a knee injury
DAL WR Cedrick Wilson - off final injury report but dealing with a shoulder injury
Captain’s Chair
Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys
You are going to have to be strategic in putting together a lineup for this contest because it gets really bleak really fast in the cheaper options. I think Schultz is a solid option for the Captain’s Chair because he provides good value in a good matchup and is the cheapest bigger-named player you could consider for a captain. The Raiders are giving up the seventh-most points per game to opposing tight ends in DFS and the Cowboys are going to be down their two biggest pass-catchers. I think the Raiders focus on shutting down Michael Gallup and Ezekiel Elliot which leaves Schultz the opportunity to go off.
Darren Waller, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
If you want to just go zero to 100 with your DFS lineup, you could look at the tight end on the other side of the ball. Waller is your third most expensive option for Captain, but there is a reason. He is averaging 14.4 DFS points per game and if he is able to get that with the boosted 1.5 odds, that makes for a very valuable start to your lineup. The Cowboys are right behind the Raiders in points given up to tight ends so Waller has a great matchup and figures to be the most targeted player on either side of the field. The only con with picking Waller is the rest of your lineup could look rough.
Value Plays
Tony Pollard, RB, Dallas Cowboys— $7,000
There isn’t much to go by with value plays once you get past the starters for either offense. Pollard plays a complementary role in the Cowboys' offense to starting running back Ezekiel Elliot. He is banged up with a minor knee injury and this could cause Pollard to see more work. The raiders are giving up the sixth-most DFS points per game to opposing running backs so Pollard has the chance to be a sneaky add to your lineup for all of the players that are going to rely on Zeke.
Hunter Renfrow, WR, Las Vegas Raiders- $8,200
I almost went with Renfrow’s teammate Bryan Edwards here because his cost is just $4,200, but I don’t think the value is going to equate to enough performance for your lineup. Renfrow at $8,200 doesn’t feel like a value, but it is. He is the second-most targeted pass-catcher on the team behind Darren Waller. He has at least eight targets in three of his last four games and The Cowboys' defense is more easily beaten through the air than on the ground. Renfrow deserves a spot in your lineup for his upside and involvement in the passing game.