Finish your 2021 Thanksgiving with the DraftKings showdown slate for Buffalo @New Orleans. As Turkey Day draws to a close, there’s still more NFL action to come! Rounding out the annual Thanksgiving slate we have Buffalo heading to Louisiana to take on the Saints. The Bills enter this one off the back of an embarrassing 41-15 loss to Indianapolis. New Orleans hasn’t fared much better in recent weeks, losing three straight, to Atlanta, Tennessee, and Philadelphia. Over these 3 losses, they’re surrendering a crazy average of 30 points, although have managed to post an average of 25 points themselves. The Bills come into this one as 7-point favorites, with the O/U at 45.
DraftKings Thankgiving Showdown 2021- Buffalo @New Orleans Captain Picks
Josh Allen ($18,300)
Allen is the number one captain choice on this slate, and it’s not even close. Despite being below-par in recent weeks, he easily has the highest floor and ceiling of any player on this slate. He’s averaged less than 6 yards per attempt in 3 of his last 4, but he’s in a great spot to bounce back tonight. The Saints have allowed the last 4 QBs they’ve faced to finish the week in the top 6 of fantasy scoring and saw Jalen Hurts score 3 rushing TDs last week. Allen is still an elite QB, and I back him to bounce back on Turkey Day under the lights.
Stefon Diggs ($17,700)
Diggs is the unquestioned WR1 in this pass-heavy offense and has the highest floor of anyone not named Josh Allen, purely due to the volume he frequently sees. Despite only hitting the 100-yard mark twice this year, he commands a 24.41% target share, with 45 and 5 TDs in his last 5. He’s slated to face a heavy dose of Marshon Lattimore tonight, which could put some off playing him, but that shouldn’t be the case. Whilst Lattimore is an elite-level CB with 10 pass breakups on the year (T7th-most), he’s also allowed the 7th-highest QB rating when targeted, as well as surrendering a league-high 19.8 yards per target. Load up on Diggs again tonight and don’t overthink it.
Tony Jones Jr. ($900)
Jones finds himself top of the depth chart with both Kamara and Ingram out. Without Kamara, Ingram saw 15 targets across 2 games, and you have to imagine that Jones should see a similar level of production tonight. This Bills defense also just gave up a season-high 185 rushing yards last week, although it’s safe to say Jonathan Taylor is slightly more talented than Tony Jones. That being said, a super value captain would give you plenty of salary flexibility to jam in the Bills receivers with Allen.
DraftKings Thanksgiving Showdown 2021: Buffalo @ New Orleans Flex Picks
Trevor Siemian ($10,200)
Perhaps not the most talented quarterback to grace the NFL but has certainly been viable in fantasy in recent weeks. He’s averaging 36 passing attempts across his 4 games, to go with 8 TDs in that span as well. His 2 INTs last week were his first of the year, although he now comes up against a defense allowing just 12.9 DKPTS per game to opposing QBs, the lowest in the NFL. However, the potential game script for this one suggests Siemian could again be forced to throw a fair amount, and volume alone makes him viable tonight.
Emmanuel Sanders ($7,400)
Revenge game narrative! Sanders boasts the highest aDOT on the team of 16.64 yards and is always a deep threat in this offense. He’s cooled off in recent weeks but could certainly catch one deep and end up being optimal. His floor is certainly lower than others on this slate – he hasn’t managed double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back weeks. However, the ceiling is high, and who doesn’t love the old revenge game narrative?
Cole Beasley ($6,600)
Beasley’s been banged up in recent weeks, and only saw the field on 57% of snaps last week, and 16% the week before. However, he’s still second on the team in target share, with 19.69% on the year. With DraftKings’s PPR scoring, Beasley benefits greatly due to typically running underneath routes, with Sanders running the deep ones. As a result, Beasley’s floor is helped dramatically, as he’s a lock to see a fair number of targets each game. He lacks the touchdown upside of Diggs and Sanders but should see enough targets to make him a nice option tonight.
Tre’Quan Smith ($5,800)
Since Siemian has taken over as QB, Smith looks to have overtaken Marquez Callaway as the WR1, with 17 targets in his last 2. He led the team with 9 in Week 10 and saw a joint-highest 8 last week. He’s a great option in cash games, and the targets should be there again today if Siemian is forced to throw a lot, as the spread suggests.
Matt Breida ($3,800)
News seems to be circling that Zack Moss will be a healthy scratch for tonight’s game. If that’s the case, this Buffalo backfield gets slightly less ugly, and Breida could end up being a solid play. He had the Bills’ sole red zone rushing attempt last week, as well as one in Week 10 as well. He also saw 3 targets that week versus the Jets, with 2 of those inside the 20. Breida found the endzone twice in Week 10, once on the ground and once through the air. If Moss does end up sitting this one out, Breida becomes a great play with a solid ceiling.
Deonte Harris ($2,000)
Last week Harris saw a 40%+ snap share for the first time since Week 5, but has been seeing a decent number of targets regardless, with 24 in his last 4 games. His price has plummeted to a lack of production, but the opportunities are certainly there for the wideout. In Week 5 he caught his sole target for 72 yards and a TD and caught 2 for 72 yards and a TD in Week 1 too. Certainly not a safe play with Siemian under center, but could break the slate at this price with another long-range TD grab.
DraftKings Thanksgiving Showdown 2021- Buffalo @New Orleans Defenses and Kickers
Buffalo ($3,000) are certainly in play tonight. They are ridiculously cheap for a unit averaging 11.5 DKPTS per game before last week’s embarrassment. Last week was the first game this defense hasn’t forced a turnover, and I think they should get back into their stride versus a below-par QB. With tonight’s game taking place indoors, there shouldn’t be any weather difficulties, and I like both kickers as well tonight.
So, there are our DraftKings selections for the 2021 Thanksgiving Showdown of Buffalo @New Orleans! Remember any DFS questions, you can check out our articles here. Or you can find us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
Image Credit: Brian Fluharty – USA TODAY Sports
