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The Thursday Night Football matchup in DFS is the Pittsburgh Steelers hosting the New England Patriots to kick off Week 14. These two teams last faced off in Week 2 of last season, which saw the Patriots win over the Steelers by 17-14.
New England (2-10) dropped its fifth straight game in Week 13 to the Los Angeles Chargers for 6-0 at Gillette Stadium. Pittsburgh (7-5) suffered a 24-10 home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
This game may not seem important, but a lineup could be built with the right players. Let's look at what players can help make an optimal DFS lineup on DraftKings and FanDuel for this game.
Top NFL DFS Picks for Thursday, Dec. 7
Quarterbacks
Bailey Zappe (Patriots) - DraftKings: $4,800; FanDuel: $6,400
The quarterback situation with the Patriots has been tough as Bailey Zappe will start his second game this season, replacing Mac Jones. Zappe threw for just 141 yards against the Chargers last week on 13 of 25 passing. He faces a Pittsburgh defense that has forced 12 interceptions, tied for the fourth-most in the league. Start him in a DFS lineup if you sense he can bounce back from last week.
Mitchell Trubisky (Steelers) - DraftKings: $5,000; FanDuel: $6,500
The gap between Zappe and Mitch Trubisky is not that far apart when looking at the salaries on DraftKings and FanDuel. Trubisky has thrown for under 150 yards in both his previous starts. New England's defense has allowed under 200 yards passing in two of their three games. He could be the better option, but it is still a toss-up in the lineup.
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Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott (Patriots) - DraftKings: $5,400; FanDuel: $6,000
With Rhamondre Stevenson out with an ankle injury, Ezekiel Elliott will start on TNF against the Steelers. Elliott has not found the endzone since Week 7. Expect him to get double-digit carries and slot into one of the running back spots in a DFS lineup based on his projected workload.
Najee Harris (Steelers) - DraftKings: $5,300; FanDuel: $6,700
Jaylen Warren could be the choice here, but Najee Harris gets the slight nod. Harris has five straight games with 10+ carries and three touchdowns in that stretch. Place Harris into the other running back slot in the DFS lineup and Warren as a potential flex option.
Having a hard time deciding between Elliott and Harris? Use Sportskeeda's Lineup Optimizer to set the best possible DFS lineup.
Wide Receivers
JuJu Smith-Schuster (Patriots) - DraftKings: $3,000; FanDuel: $5,200
Similar to the quarterback position, there are some issues at the receiver position, but more so with injuries. Smith-Schuster has zero games with double-digit targets this season with just one touchdown. This could change as Zappe could rely on him to jump-start the Patriots' passing game. He's worth a start in the receiver slot in the lineup.
George Pickens (Steelers) - DraftKings: $4,800; FanDuel: $6,300
The Steelers and their passing game have not been there all season, but Pickens has been consistent. He has back-to-back games with five targets, which does not seem like much, as Pittsburgh has leaned more on the ground. The young wideout could be a mismatch against a depleted Patriots secondary. He is worth a spot in any DFS lineup.
Tight Ends
Hunter Henry (Patriots) - DraftKings: $2,900; FanDuel: $4,900
The veteran tight end has one touchdown over his last four games, with under 40 yards in each. Pittsburgh has allowed just three touchdowns to the position. Starting him in a lineup indicates love for his value in salary and maybe getting some action in the passing game.
Pat Freiermuth (Steelers) - DraftKings: $4,000; FanDuel: $5,200
Trubisky could use Pat Freiermuth as a safety net, as the young tight end has shown breakout ability. He had his first 100-yard game in Week 12 against the Bengals. Freiermuth is the more comforting start in a DFS lineup in this matchup looking for another great game.
