The NFL season is back. It seems like we have been waiting forever. Well, February was a long time ago, but NFL action that matters is back. The 2025 NFL season kicks off with an exciting rivalry matchup as the Dallas Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to face the defending champion Eagles. As I’m sure you want to kick the season off with DFS action, fear not, we’ll make sure you are fully prepared. Below, you can find my Thursday Night Football DFS picks and rankings to help you set a winning lineup.
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Thursday Night Football DFS Notes
What Will He Do for an Encore?
Now that’s how you make your presence felt in a new city. Saquon Barkley exceeded just about all expectations last year as he finished with more than 2,000 combined yards in the regular season. There’s no question about his skill set, but the problem is the workload. Barkley was, and continues to be, healthy, but the usage was quite high.
After 345 regular-season carries, Barkley had another 91 in the postseason. While he’s unquestionably the lead back, I would expect Philadelphia to monitor his workload. That will likely occur especially early in the regular season, and this is the perfect situation to do so.
The good news is that Barkley still should generate enough fantasy production early on that it won’t be an issue.
Dak is Healthy
Entering the 2025 season, there appear to be no restrictions for Dak Prescott. Dallas added George Pickens to give Prescott another weapon downfield, which should prove to be useful. As the Cowboys figure out their running back situation, they’ll likely lean more heavily on Prescott to run the offense. In a game in which they’ll likely be trailing, the game flow should also benefit Prescott from a fantasy perspective.
More Good Things for Lamb
Even with Prescott injured for half the season, CeeDee Lamb still finished with a solid production. Lamb averaged 80 receiving yards per game (1,194) while catching 101 passes. I’d expect the quantity, at a minimum, to remain the same while Lamb’s efficiency per catch increases with Prescott back. There’s also upside for him to catch more than the six touchdown passes he did last year. Look for Lamb and Prescott to connect for a touchdown tonight.
Pickens Stretches the Field
While he did gain 987 receiving yards, it was an up-and-down season for George Pickens in 2024. The move to Dallas appears to have refreshed the downfield threat. While he struggled with consistency and only caught four touchdowns last season, he’s a big play waiting to happen.
A Big Play from Tolbert?
We do need to find some cost savings, and perhaps that comes from Jalen Tolbert. Last year, Tolbert emerged, catching 49 passes for 610 yards and seven touchdowns. This season, he slots in as the third receiver and could find some room to work tonight with the Eagles focused on Lamb and Pickens. Dallas falling behind early could also work here.
Can’t Go Wrong With Hurts
Let’s be real, Jalen Hurts is one of the better quarterbacks in the league. So what if his passing numbers aren’t as explosive as others? Hurts delivers on the ground, and the fantasy production is consistently there. It almost seems as a foregone conclusion that he’ll pick up a touchdown on the ground tonight along with a solid passing floor.
Don’t Forget About Aubrey
If Dallas struggles to generate a running game and to move the ball, they could fall back on Brandon Aubrey’s leg strength once again. And that means long field goals and plenty of fantasy points.
Value for Shipley
If the Eagles are going to take a big league and/or play things carefully with Barkley, there’s room for multiple running backs tonight. That makes Will Shipley an interesting value option if you are looking to save some salary cap space.
What’s up in Dallas’ Backfield?
A look at the depth chart signals that it’s Javonte Williams who will receive the bulk of the work. It’s taken Williams a while to come back to form from his knee injury, but perhaps he’ll shake the rust off in 2025? However, game flow could work to his disadvantage, which puts Jayden Blue on our radar. The rookie is explosive and will be used as a pass-catching threat. His speed is real, and Blue could be a solid mid-range option tonight.
Thursday Night Football DFS Picks
| Rnk | Pos | Player | Team | DK Salary | FD Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WR | CeeDee Lamb | DAL | 10,800 | 12,000 |
| 2 | QB | Jalen Hurts | PHI | 11,000 | 12,200 |
| 3 | RB | Saquon Barkley | PHI | 11,200 | 14,400 |
| 4 | QB | Dak Prescott | DAL | 9,000 | 10,800 |
| 5 | WR | A.J. Brown | PHI | 9,400 | 11,200 |
| 6 | WR | George Pickens | DAL | 8,000 | 8,400 |
| 7 | WR | DeVonta Smith | PHI | 8,400 | 9,600 |
| 8 | K | Brandon Aubrey | DAL | 4,800 | 6,200 |
| 9 | TE | Jake Ferguson | DAL | 5,200 | 5,000 |
| 10 | RB | Jaydon Blue | DAL | 5,000 | 2,400 |
| 11 | K | Jake Elliott | PHI | 4,400 | 5,800 |
| 12 | RB | Javonte Williams | DAL | 5,400 | 6,600 |
| 13 | WR | Jalen Tolbert | DAL | 3,400 | 5,200 |
| 14 | TE | Dallas Goedert | PHI | 6,400 | 7,400 |
| 15 | DST | Eagles | PHI | 4,600 | 7,800 |
| 16 | RB | Will Shipley | PHI | 2,000 | 3,400 |
| 17 | WR | Jahan Dotson | PHI | 3,200 | 3,000 |
| 18 | RB | Miles Sanders | DAL | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| 19 | RB | A.J. Dillon | PHI | 3,000 | 2,000 |
| 20 | WR | Jonathan Mingo | DAL | 1,200 | 1,800 |
| 21 | DST | Cowboys | DAL | 3,600 | 5,400 |
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