DFS: Week 12 NFL Combo Plays

Well, it's Thanksgiving Week, which means a triple dose of Thursday football for NFL fans! Unfortunately for DFS owners participating in only the main slate, that means six teams won't be available to choose from:

The Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, and Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers all play on the holiday, leaving owners without access to QB Cam Newton and the vaunted Carolina passing attack.

The following are the safest combo plays to target in Week 12:

• Andy Dalton and Tyler Eifert, Bengals (vs. Rams)

• Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., Giants (at Redskins)

• Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, Patriots (at Broncos)

Here are some options likely to have lower ownership percentages that can be targeted in GPPs:

Brock Osweiler and Demaryius Thomas, Broncos (vs. Patriots)

Osweiler is fresh off an AFC Offensive Player of the Week award following a 250-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 11. He picked up the win in his first NFL start, and he matched Peyton Manning in one very important statistic:

Demaryius Thomas' stats with Manning at quarterback this season:

Thomas' stats with Osweiler under center:

Osweiler has brought the big-play threat back to the Broncos' offense. The Patriots' 10 plays of 20-plus yards allowed is the 10th-most in the league. They can be attacked downfield. Osweiler's touchdown pass to Thomas was a 49-yard score.

While Thomas only had three receptions in Week 11, the Broncos controlled the majority of that game, with the win never really in doubt. The undefeated Patriots will pose a bigger challenge, and Osweiler is likely to be without the services of WR Emmanuel Sanders (hip) for a second consecutive week.

Brian Hoyer and DeAndre Hopkins, Texans (vs. Saints)

Hoyer will return to the field following a one-week absence, while he waited to clear the league's concussion protocol. While he was gone, Hopkins caught his eighth and ninth touchdowns of the season, compiling his fifth 100-yard game of the season with backup QB T.J. Yates.

Hoyer and Hopkins could not have a better matchup for their Week 12 reunion. Here is how the Saints' pass defense has fared against opposing receivers this year (standard scoring):

(Note: BYE would have had a couple of scores if not for a few questionable penalty calls last week.)

The Saints' defense is bad, especially against the pass. They are no better than bottom-six in any major pass-defense statistic. With both Nate Washington and Cecil Shorts III healthy, Hoyer will have other options. He's just unlikely to need them.

Kirk Cousins and Jordan Reed, Redskins (vs. Giants)

Here's how opposing tight ends have fared against the Giants this season (standard scoring):

Replace Brate with Austin Seferian-Jenkins, and that fantasy point total is a lot higher than two. The only other significant outlier is Ertz, as he is a member of the dysfunctional Philadelphia Eagles' offense.

It's safer to say Reed's floor is the 10 points he scored against the Giants in Week 3; his ceiling is much higher. Cousins has averaged 266 passing yards over his past four games, throwing nine touchdowns and just two interceptions in that span. He is finally looking somewhat like the quarterback he was hyped up by the Redskins' coaches to be.

Others to Consider

• Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals (at 49ers)

• Jameis Winston and Mike Evans, Buccaneers (at Colts)

• Ben Roethlisberger and Martavis Bryant, Steelers (at Seahawks)