Cowboys vs. Saints Thursday Night Football DFS Picks – Week 13, 2021

Thursday Night Football offers up a fun showdown this week, but it’s also an odd one. On one hand, a clash between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints is must-see TV.

Alvin Kamara and Amari Cooper could both be back, and the top NFL betting sites have assigned this showdown a healthy 47.5 game total.

The weird part? The Saints could be making a big change under center on a short week, and Dallas will be hitting the road without their head coach.

Mike McCarthy won’t be on hand for this one, while the Taysom Hill era could be back underway. It makes for a tough betting environment, but it could be sheer fireworks for NFL DFS.

Let’s settle in and see which players stand out when building Thursday Night Football DFS Showdown lineups in week 13.

The studs going into Thursday Night Football are pretty clear. I don’t have that much interest in Ezekiel Elliott, as he’s pretty pricey for a guy who isn’t healthy and facing the #1 defense versus fantasy rushers.

The way to attack the Saints is through the air.

• 28th vs. fantasy QBs
• 28th vs. fantasy WRs

Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb are the dream stack in this scenario. The only real question is if you put one in the Captain slot, and who. I’m probably pairing them together everywhere, one way or another.

Pivoting off of Lamb to Amari Cooper is in play. The latter is back in the fold, but keep in mind Mike McCarthy noted that he hasn’t looked quite 100% just yet.

Cowboys WR Amari Cooper (COVID-19) is back in building but “still not feeling the best,” coach Mike McCarthy said. Still has a cough. “To be determined” whether he’ll practice today. “My gut would be if he doesn’t practice tomorrow, I don’t see him going to the game.”

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 30, 2021

Taysom Hill is the ultimate run-it-back option from the other side. He has been gearing up to take over for the floundering Trevor Siemian, and his rushing ability gives him a nice built-in floor.

Hill is a lock for me in some capacity. Just make sure he starts. To be fair, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t at this point.

Kamara is also going to be a difficult fade. He’s been out since week nine, but before succumbing to a knee sprain, he put up 15+ fantasy points in six straight games and seven of eight on the year.

He’s been quietly rock solid in 2021, but it’s worth noting Hill’s insertion into the starting lineup hurt his PPR value last year, and it obviously could again. He’s still a borderline must if he suits up, however.

This isn’t the worst Thursday Night Football DFS Showdown slate for value. There are several elite options worth paying up for, and there should be enough sleepers to help you do it.

Harris isn’t the cheapest, but he has a solid role. He’s seen 4+ targets in each of his last five games, and the Saints really don’t have a go-to guy in the passing game. The lone issue is wondering how things change with a new quarterback running the show.

That could be enough reason to just take your lumps further down the line. Humphrey and Johnson are both riskier, but they’re a fraction of the price, and they could still have roles.

I probably prefer Johnson, who theoretically should benefit from the absence of Adam Trautman. Johnson flashed nice ability with two scores in week one, but faded since. Maybe Hill can unlock him against a Dallas defense that gives up the 11th most fantasy points to the position.

Cooper’s return could be an issue, but he could easily be a late scratch, be limited, or simply be ineffective. There’s also the case of Cedrick Wilson, who has missed practice due to his own injury.

Things could play out perfectly to allow Brown to be more than a desperate Showdown punt. Catching six of nine targets on Thanksgiving Day may have earned him more field time, anyways.

I love this team. It has all four of my top NFL DFS picks for Thursday Night Football, and it has my preferred sleeper, as well.

The catch? I’m sliding Noah Brown into the Captain slot, and using Callaway to round out my team.

The point is you want the top options, but you also need to find a smart way to get different. I’m fine just using Callaway here, but as with any Thursday Night Football DFS slate, I’ll likely check updated ownership projections and work from there.

Hopefully my Thursday Night Football DFS picks serve you well. If you’d like to profit from this game further, consider the week 13 TNF player props below.