It’s Thanksgiving feast week! Time for family, friends, food, fun, and of course, DFS football. The Sporting News can’t wait to get you ready for another loaded Turkey Day weekend of DFS sleepers and value plays, highlighting the top bargains on DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft.
The No. 1 key to success in daily fantasy: identifying value. You won’t win any DFS jackpots if you don’t get the most bang for your buck during lineup construction. Finding a balance between proven weekly studs and high-value sleepers is crucial, just like lining your Turkey Day buffet with solid sides, in addition to the classic favorites.
For years, this column has shined a light on the undervalued gems each week on DraftKings, FanDuel, and now SuperDraft. Anyone can spot the elite DFS stars, but it’s the sleepers and value plays that separate lineups from the crowd and start making you some real money.
MORE NFL WEEK 13: Best bets and top props | Odds, lines, totals
By finding solid production at discount DFS prices, we afford ourselves more proven weekly studs at other roster positions. That way, a larger percentage of our lineup is contributing, and we establish lineup variance by separating our entries from the rest of the DFS pack.
Throughout the season, we highlight our biggest hits from the previous week to prove the effectiveness of our strategies. Let’s take a look at our list of successes from last week, with each player’s Week 12 salaries as well as their final DraftKings points production.
| POS. | PLAYER | WEEK 12 GAME | SALARY | POINTS |
| QB | Bo Nix | Broncos at Raiders | $6,300 | 23.4 |
| QB | Sam Darnold | Vikings at Bears | $5,900 | 24.1 |
| QB | Baker Mayfield | Bucs at Giants | $6,100 | 19.7 |
| RB | Bucky Irving | Bucs at Giants | $5,400 | 27.1 |
| RB | David Montgomery | Lions at Colts | $6,700 | 16.3 |
| WR | DJ Moore | Bears vs. Vikings | $5,500 | 20.1 |
| WR | Calvin Ridley | Titans vs. Texans | $5,700 | 14.3 |
| TE | Jonnu Smith | Dolphins vs. Patriots | $4,100 | 23.7 |
| TE | T.J. Hockenson | Vikings at Bears | $4,200 | 21.4 |
| TE | Zach Ertz | Commanders vs. Cowboys | $3,800 | 15.8 |
| DST | Denver | Broncos at Raiders | $3,200 | 10.0 |
| DST | Tampa Bay | Buccaneers at Giants | $3,300 | 10.0 |
We didn’t have as many massive scores as we enjoyed two weeks ago. Still, that’s a healthy list, with 12 juicy servings of DFS goodness. We were particularly pleased with our QB and TE offerings, not to mention the gold we struck with Bucky Irving and DJ Moore in the mid-$5,000s.
Let’s carry over the momentum and unveil our Week 13 DFS sleepers and value picks on DraftKings, FanDuel, and SuperDraft. We’ll highlight the most affordable high-value options at each position, as well as their listed cost or scoring boost on each DFS site.
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a weekend of good DFS fortune!
WEEK 13 FANTASY FOOTBALL ROSTER MANAGEMENT ADVICE
Stock Watch | Sleepers | Busts | Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em | Usage Report
After averaging 19.6 DK points per game in his first three contests with the Steelers, Russ has come back to Earth a bit with just 11.05 PPG in the two games since. This should be a get-right game, however, as long as DangeRuss can stay away from sack-monster Trey Hendrickson.
That one name aside, Cincinnati has been awful defensively. Only three teams have surrendered more fantasy points per game to QBs this season (DK and FD), and both Justin Herbert and Lamar Jackson went OFF the last time they faced the Bengals (Herbs had 297 and 2 TDs, LJax had 290 and 4 TDs). Fire Russ up, and let’s hope for a Pittsburgh-related catchphrase soon!
WEEK 13 FANTASY FOOTBALL RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/ST | Kickers
Every Turkey Day weekend needs some Herbs and seasoning, and we’re loving the flavor Herbert has provided since the Bolts became relevant again. He’s the QB6 since Week 7, averaging over 20 PPG during that span. Now he faces a Falcons D that has allowed the 6th-most QB PPG and just got destroyed by Bo Nix last week.
Other QBs whose Week 13 values exceed their price tags:
WEEK 13 WAIVER WIRE ADVICE
Full waiver wire list | FAAB guide | Top players to target
It’s a glorious time of year, and an even more glorious time to be a Bucky Irving fantasy manager or investor. The rookie exploded for 151 all-purpose yards and a TD last week against the Giants, good for 27.1 points. Now he faces the Panthers, an even more abysmal run D that has yielded the most DK and FD points in the NFL to RBs this season. It’s time to get Buck-wild.
Other strong Week 13 RB values (bold prices indicate volatilty):
MORE: Learn about the SuperDraft Jackpot | How to play DFS
McConkey has been a revelation for the Bolts, who have been otherwise plagued by underwhelming downfield playmakers most weeks. Quentin Johnston had multiple awful drops against the Ravens in the MNF Harbaugh Bowl, while tight end Will Dissly is good but one-dimensional.
It’s time for the rookie Ladd to heat up the hot sauce and unleash his inner beast in Atlanta. We just saw Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton go HAM on the Dirty Birds — here’s hoping Herbs and McConkey are the next QB/WR duo to feast on their below-average defense.
Other strong Week 13 DFS values at WR:
The ‘Muth has been pretty solid over the past month, but he’s long overdue for a big “Muth on the loose” game. He has caught 100 percent of his targets since Week 8, and he just logged a 59-yard game against the division-rival Browns. Now he draws the Bengals, who have surrendered the 3rd-most fantasy PPG to tight ends this season. Stuff your lineups with ‘Muth this weekend.
More Week 13 TEs worth a look:
The Broncos should be among the top-3 most expensive D/STs this week, yet they’re just the 7th-most expensive. Denver just blasted a good Falcons team by a score of 38-6, racking up 13 DK points via an interception, four sacks, and the six points allowed. Las Vegas has yielded the 2nd-most D/ST points on the season. This is a no-brainer, like honey glaze on your holiday ham.
Other decent D/ST plays for Week 13:
