DraftKings Thanksgiving Picks & Optimal Lineups for Bears-Lions Showdown

Favorite Captains for Bears vs. Lions

The matchup between the Bears and Lions is an interesting, as it's not projected to be incredibly high scoring game. Currently, the total on this game sits around 44.5 points, but each team has some solid matchups from a fantasy perspective. Choosing captains can be somewhat tough in games like this, but a few names on each side stand out both due to those matchups and also their price.

As far as the specific captain choices go, I'll offer 4-6 names that I'll consider and layout the top choices. This doesn't mean I'll use each of the names, but I allow myself flexibility when building lineups typically. The names I'll break down for DraftKings showdowns below all include captain pricing of 1.5x more than standard.

Note: Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is dealing with a shoulder injury and his status for this game is up in the air. If he's healthy enough to play, he's one of the better captains in this game, but his price ($16,800) is certainly high.

– Matthew Stafford ($14,100)
– Kenny Golladay ($15,900)
– Tarik Cohen ($12,900)
– Theo Riddick ($11,400)
– Anthony Miller ($11,700)
– Bruce Ellington ($4,200)

*Marvin Jones is a solid option if he plays (looks unlikely), Bears DST ($7,200), Trey Burton ($6,900) also options

Favorite expensive/mid-range captains: Matthew Stafford, Tarik Cohen

Top value-saving captains: Bruce Ellington, Chase Daniel

This is an interesting spot as Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is dealing with a shoulder injury suffered on Sunday Night Football last week. With a quick turnaround, it wouldn't be surprising if he sits out. If that's the case, then we're looking at a value play at quarterback in Chase Daniel who wouldn't need to do a ton to hit value. If Trubisky is out, Daniel is an interesting option at captain.

Trubisky's status also impacts the wide receivers and Tarik Cohen. If I believe the lineup I create will be impacted drastically by Trubisky's status, I'll offer two lines. More specifically, be sure to check back for any updates once final news on his status is revealed. Regardless, I think Cohen is again a solid play. He let down fantasy players last week by rushing for just 27 yards and turning three receptions into 23 yards. Expect more this week, especially if Daniel starts.

We also have an injury on the other side with Lions wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. potentially out. It seems likely Jones will not play and I'll build lineups with that thought process. He missed last game and through Tuesday was unable to practice. If he misses this game, Bruce Ellington (questionable, expected to play) has a tremendous chance at producing a solid stat line once again.

Lions receiver TJ Jones is incredibly cheap on this slate ($3,000 as captain). But although he's seen 69 and 64 percent of snaps the last two games (per Football Outsiders), it's resulted in just two catches for 14 yards. He's an option in 150-max games to differentiate lineups, but I won't go crazy using him.

Let's jump into it and start with the optimal lineup where I'll dive deeper into the specific plays.

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