FanDuel NFL 2018: Thanksgiving Lineup

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CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 18: Jordan Howard #24 of the Chicago Bears finds the opening against the Minnesota Vikings in the second quarter at Soldier Field on November 18, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

FLEX: Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears- $6,100

Defense: Dallas Cowboys- $4,800

The Chicago Bears get a chance to prove to the nation how dominant they are once again, when they take on the Detroit Lions. One player who’s starting to pick up his play is running back Howard.

Howard leads the Bears 523 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. He is averaging just under 10 fantasy points per game.

Last week against the Minnesota Vikings, who are one of the top run defenses in the league, Howard had 18 carries for 63 yards. His 3.42 yards per carry was the second most allowed by the Vikings in the last five weeks.

The last two weeks weren’t Howard’s best games, but before Week 10, Howard had a stretch of three games where he scored at least one touchdown, including a two-touchdown performance in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Howard struggled against the Lions and only rushed for 21 yards, a season low. It’s clear that Howard’s role is strictly running the ball, especially with Tarik Cohen and his production in the pass game.

The Lions have allowed running backs to rush for 1,147 yards, sixth most in the NFL. They have surrendered 228.6 fantasy points to opposing backs, just outside of the top-10 in the league. Running backs are also averaging 5.16 yards per carry against the Lions.

Defensively, the choice was easy when looking at the Thanksgiving matchups; the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas is the most expensive defense out of the six teams playing. The combination of their success and matchup against the Washington Redskins is a big reason for being the highest priced unit.

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The Redskins lost quarterback Alex Smith to a broken fibula and tibia in last week’s loss to the Houston Texans. With the starting quarterback out, Colt McCoy will likely get the nod for the rest of the season. On Monday, the Redskins signed Mark Sanchez as a backup option.

Dallas’ defense has only given up 19.0 points per game, third best overall unit in the league. Only two teams have allowed less, Tennessee and Baltimore.

The Cowboys’ secondary has only allowed two quarterbacks to throw for 300+ yards this season and their run defense has only allowed on running back to eclipse the 100 yard mark. Dallas is rolling and will continue to roll against the Redskins.