Thanksgiving Day football is nearly upon us, with three NFL games set to kick off on Thursday. The top players on each respective team will obviously be expected to come up big. But who are the underrated players who can make a difference to help their team come away with a Turkey Day victory?
Without further ado, here are five players who can be an X-factor on Thursday for their respective teams.
5. Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Gallup often times takes a back seat to star wideout CeeDee Lamb for the Cowboys. And Gallup’s stats on the year certainly show exactly that, recording only two games this season where he has recorded over 50 yards receiving.
That being said, Gallup has perhaps his best chance for a breakout game this season on Thursday afternoon against the Washington Commanders.
The Commanders’ defense has allowed the second most passing yards of any team in football, so expect a heavy dose of passing from the Cowboys offense.
If the Commanders’ defense focuses heavily on stopping CeeDee Lamb, expect for Gallup to make some big plays against single coverage in this contest.
4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Smith-Njigba is a player who had some high expectations placed on him right away after being the first wide receiver drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Thus far, he hasn’t exactly had one game in particular that you would consider to be a breakout game for him. And while the 49ers defense is obviously a difficult one to look good against, this could be the game we see him play a big impact in.
If there is a way to get to this 49ers defense, it is through the passing game for the Seahawks. The 49ers are middle-of-the-road compared the the rest of the NFL in passing defense while sporting an elite rushing defense.
Chances are the Seahawks will be trailing for much of this game. And if that is the case, Smith-Njigba will be called upon the make some big plays in this game.
3. Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers
Kraft has been sparingly used in his rookie season, sitting behind fellow rookie tight end Luke Musgrave on the depth chart. However, Kraft will get his chance to prove himself as a starter on Thursday, as Musgrave was placed on Injured Reserve with an injury ahead of their Thanksgiving Day game against the Detroit Lions.
The former South Dakota State product was only selected 36 picks after Musgrave in the 2023 NFL Draft, so expectations for him should be pretty high for his starting debut.
The Lions have a top-five scoring offense on the season, so the Packers will likely need to score plenty to keep up in this game. If Kraft can make an impact through the passing game in his debut, that could go a long way in making this game a competitive one throughout.
2. Logan Thomas, TE, Washington Commanders
Thomas has proven his worth around the NFL for quite some time. And he will likely be called upon again to make a big impact in the Commanders’ Week 12 game against the matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.
Commanders quarterback Sam Howell is far and away the most sacked quarterback in the NFL. Pair that with the Cowboys elite pass-rush, and you have a serious problem for Washington in this matchup.
Howell will need to get the ball out quickly in this matchup. And this could lead to Thomas, Howell’s primary safety valve option, having a big game.
1. Jameson Williams, WR, Detroit Lions
Williams hasn’t had the kind of impact that most Lions fans would have expected from him early on in his career after being a first-round pick of the team in the 2022 NFL Draft.
However, he has begun to put things together in recent weeks, catching a long touchdown pass in their Week 11 game against the Chicago Bears.
Williams is as dangerous of a deep threat as there is in the NFL. And you can expect for him to get a few good looks at game-changing deep catches on Thanksgiving Day.
