Who are this year's Thanksgiving Day sleepers, and what's the most underrated Thanksgiving Day dish at the table?
Welcome to Week 13 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Thanksgiving Day Sleepers (see below)
- Favorite 2025 NFL Draft Prospect
- Aaron Rodgers in 2025
- Tee Higgins in 2025
Let's roll.
Thanksgiving Day Sleepers
Matt Waldman: Give us one sleeper ranked outside these parameters below:
- Top 15 QBs
- Top 36 RBs/WRs
- Top 15 TEs
Who will deliver starter value on Thanksgiving Day despite not already delivering this year?
Jason Wood: I don't think there's an obvious answer here, so I'll go with whoever starts for the Giants at quarterback—Tommy DeVito or Drew Lock. The Cowboys' defense is in shambles, and they're one of the easiest defenses for both opposing fantasy quarterbacks and wide receivers.
The most underrated Thanksgiving Day food is stuffing. I'm not generally someone who eats many carbs, but on Turkey Day, I'm definitely going to enjoy some delicious stuffing, especially when it's doused with homemade gravy.
Waldman: Stuffing is the joint. We're not even having a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year and stuffing is still part of the requested menu...
Sean Settle: Corn casserole is one of the most underrated Thanksgiving Day dishes. It is full of buttery-carb deliciousness that you can pretend is good for you because it has corn in it. The cornbread exterior with creamy corn inside gives a good contrast to the traditional Thanksgiving side fare.
Now to the game. This is one of the least exciting Thanksgiving Day lineups in recent memory, and there does not appear to be much sleeper value outside of the Giants' starting quarterback. Either Tommy Devitto (if healthy) or Drew Lock could step in and have a favorable game against a poor Dallas defense.
The Cowboys are currently 0-5 at home and have given up 34+ points in all but one of those games. The Giants have a litany of issues on the offensive side of the ball, but either quarterback should be able to force-feed Malik Nabers and put up solid numbers on Thanksgiving Day.
Matt Bitonti: Jake Ferguson (concussion) missed Sunday's win over Washington and might not make it back on a short week. That leaves second-year TE 17 Luke Schoonmaker (Hamden, CT via Michigan) to feast against the Giants.
Waldman: I'm a Schoonmaker fan (and I was also a Ferguson fan), and that's a good call, especially in the red zone. What about the underrated dish at the table?
Bitonti: Sweet. Potato. Pie. It's even fun to say. Have a great holiday, everyone.
Waldman: I don't make desserts, so we get the Patti Labelle Sweet Potato Pie for these occasions. And you're right, it's even fun to say...
Dan Hindery: Keenan Allen is the WR55 after 12 weeks but has a great chance to deliver a starting-caliber score on Thanksgiving. Before last week's breakout performance (9-86-1 on 15 targets), he hadn't surpassed 45 receiving yards in a single game this season. This could be a sign that he has finally developed real chemistry with Caleb Williams.
Additionally, Allen is the exact type of receiver who has given the Lions' pass defense the most trouble. The four wide receivers who have topped 100 yards against Detroit this season—Chris Godwin, Cooper Kupp, Jayden Reed, and Calvin Ridley—are all savvy route runners like Allen, known for their toughness and physicality.
And I agree with Wood about stuffing. Our family's recipe includes sausage, vegetables, fresh herbs, and doesn't skimp on the butter.
Justin Howe: Dallas quarterbacks love throwing to Jalen Tolbert near the goal line. He's out-targeted CeeDee Lamb: 5-3 inside the 10-yard line and 3-1 inside the five. For perspective: he's drawn more red zone looks than No. 1 wideouts like Terry McLaurin, Zay Flowers, or Marvin Harrison Jr.. If Lamb can't play or is limited, Tolbert could serve as the alpha and carry touchdown upside.
Waldman: Nice...and your Turkey Day dish?
Howe: Gravy. It's underappreciated, but it's crucial enough to make or break a meal. It has to be homemade, of course, as canned/jarred gravy is little more than brown flour water. A weak or burnt gravy ruins everything it touches, while great gravy gets a meal remembered for decades.
Waldman: I suppose we'll have to ask you to make the gravy if there's ever a turkey at a Footballguys' event.
I'll roll with a really good cranberry sauce with fresh citrus--none of that canned jello mold. As for the games, let's roll with KaVontae Turpin's big-play ability.
Thanks for reading. Check out the links below for all of this week's roundtable topics:
Good luck!
