Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) has produced big fantasy totals on Thanksgiving Day games. Last year alone, Stafford passed for 390 yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Bears. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Unlike the dreaded Thursday Night Games which each week seem to drain away any and all offensive output, the Thanksgiving annual Thursday games bring out the point totals.

Maybe players are looking forward to their turkey, maybe it’s the national stage or maybe it is because the two of the defenses on display belong to the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, but very rarely do you get a fantasy clunker on Thanksgiving.

Beginning in 2006, the NFL decided to add a third game to our usual Thanksgiving football feast. So just looking at years 2006 to the present, the average combined point totals per game average out to 46.8 points. Those are the kind of numbers I like to see when filling out a daily fantasy lineup.

No team in 27 Thanksgiving games since 2006 has pitched a shutout. The worst offensive showings go to the N.Y. Jets (lost 34-3 to Dallas in 2007), Oakland Raiders (lost 24-7 to Dallas in 2009), New York Giants (lost 26-6 to Denver in 2009), and San Francisco 49ers twice! (lost 19-6 to Baltimore in 2011; lost 19-3 to Seattle in 2014).

So, we now know the teams combine for big-time points, but what about the hosts? Are these one-sided affairs where we should load up on opposition players against Dallas or Detroit, or can we trust the annual Thanksgiving football providers.

For this we will go back one more year to 2005, giving us 10 years of research to work with.

In the past 10 years, the Cowboys are averaging a respectable 27 points per Thanksgiving game.

As for Detroit?

Not so much.

The Lions are averaging just 20.9 points per game on Thanksgiving and have been held to two touchdowns or less four times. Take heart, owners of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson because in their last three Thanksgiving Day games, the Lions have averaged 35 points.

Carolina may have a top defense, but history shows that Dallas provides offensive numbers on Turkey Day. Dallas has only failed to score more than 20 points once in 10 years – and it came last year in a 33-10 loss to Philadelphia.

So what about this year?

Well, we’ve covered the Lions and Cowboys, but what about our other four participants?

First off the Carolina Panthers are making their Thanksgiving debut, so not much history to look back on for Cam and Co., except to say the last three Dallas Cowboys Turkey day foes scored 38, 24 and 33 points.

As for the Eagles, Chip Kelly enjoyed a great day last year on Thanksgiving thanks to his team routing Dallas 33-10. Philadelphia has appeared on this day three times since 1970 and never failed to score under 27 points. In their last two appearances (2008, 2014), Philly scored 48 and 33.

That brings us to the nightcap between Green Bay and Chicago. The Packers and Bears have been a regular participant on Thanksgiving. But just looking at since 2006, Green Bay has played on Turkey Day four times and averaged 27 points while the Bears have played just once since the move to three games, posting 17 points in a 2013 loss.

So, what have we learned: Dallas is a safe bet for offense as well as Philadelphia. Detroit is risky, but has been bringing it the past few years while Green Bay and Chicago remain steady, but not stupendous.

Don’t shy away from Thanksgiving and expect big things from your fantasy players.

 

Pick These Guys Up For Week 12

Quarterback: Josh McCown, Cleveland – Johnny Manziel has been benched until further notice, which makes McCown (who was probably dropped in the majority of leagues) a nice option to grab this late in the season. Before he was sidelined with an injury, creating the chance for Manziel, McCown was averaging 271 yards passing per outing with 11 TDs and just 4 interceptions.

Running Back: Thomas Rawls, Seattle; Buck Allen, Baltimore – So, which is the newest backup, who is is now viable due to injury to the starter? These two guys. Rawls torched San Francisco last week and should be the main man going forward as Marshawn Lynch has hernia surgery while Allen is the starter thanks to Justin Forsett being lost for the season because of injury.

Wide Receiver/Tight End: J.J. Nelson, Arizona – If Michael Floyd misses any more time than just last week, Nelson should be a big-time producer going forward. Last week against Cincinnati, Nelson delivered four catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. If Floyd misses this week too, I shudder to think what kind of numbers he could put on the lowly San Francisco 49ers defense.

 

Start These Guys In Week 12

These are not the obvious starts, but those under-the-radar guys who I think can take advantage of a favorable matchup. Whether they end up paying off is another story.

Quarterback: Matthew Stafford, Detroit vs. Philadelphia – I know this is the second-straight week for this guy and he didn’t exactly light it up last week (282 yards, 0 TD, 1 rushing TD), but you need to go all-in on him this week. Stafford loves playing on Thanksgiving and Philadelphia’s pass defense right now is very giving.

Running Back: T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville vs. San Diego – Yeldon has been solid, but yet to provide to crack the 100-yard mark in his last three games. That should come this week against a Chargers defense surrendering a league-worst 25.1 fantasy points per game to tailbacks (Last Week: Charcandrick West was on pace to torch this Chargers defense before suffering an injury, so his backup Spencer Ware took over to rush for 96 yards and 2 TDs.

Wide Receiver: Travis Benjamin, Cleveland (vs. Baltimore) – Now that McCown is back under center, Benjamin will return to the solid producer he was while taking advantage of the third worst pass defense in the league. (Last Week: Sammy Watkins suffered through the poor QB play of Tyrod Taylor, who targeted Watkins 6 times for 3 catches and 39 yards. )

 

How Did My Teams Do In Week 11?

The Last Action Heroes in my CBSSports.com league did not break 100 points, but still won comfortably 98-66 over Van Vleck Vertigo for a fourth win in a row to sit now at 7-4 and but clinch a playoff spot. It helps that QB Carson Palmer (who I traded for) keeps putting up big numbers. Did not have my top two receivers because of last week of byes, but the whole team is back together now for the stretch run. My Yahoo.com “All Name Team” continues to do what it has all season – lose. It didn’t help that Oakland Raiders receiver Derek Carr delivered his worst outing of the season, but even with Calvin Johnson, Dez Bryan, Demaryius Thomas, Frank Gore, Travis Kelce, I still could not muster enough points in a 72-57 loss to James’ Crazy Team to drop my Fantasy Derelicts to 3-8. There is always next week to try and get a victory.

Good Luck in Week 12!

 

– Tyler Morning Telegraph staff writer Chris Parry has been an avid fantasy football player since his collegiate days at Texas Tech in the late 90s. His fantasy football takeaway appears each Thursday. Any questions or comments can be emailed to cparry@tylerpaper.com or tweeted to @CParryETFS