NFL DFS Lineup Picks for FanDuel, DraftKings - Bills vs. Texans Thursday Night Showdown

November 20, 2025

Koby's top NFL DFS lineup picks for DraftKings, FanDuel -- Bills vs. Texans TNF slate for Week 12 Thursday Night Football (Nov. 20, 2025). His NFL daily fantasy sleeper picks.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! Monday Night Football was finally an offensive game! Let's hope we can get another one on this Thursday Night game to start Week 12. The Texans are still down C.J. Stroud with a concussion, but Davis Mills has looked serviceable in his three weeks playing so far. Let's see if he can keep that going here against the Bills.

The best part of the NFL schedule is that we have only two days off between Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football, so we are back at it tonight as the Buffalo Bills (7-3) travel down to the south to Houston, Texas, to take on the Texans (5-5). Both teams are coming off a win in their last contest and are looking to get some work going as the Playoffs begin to loom.

I will provide you with daily fantasy football picks on DraftKings and FanDuel for Thursday Night Football in Week 12 -- Bills vs. Texans on November 20, 2025. These NFL DFS lineup picks can vary from higher-priced players and elite options to lower-priced players and value picks. For questions, follow me on X @DFSKoby, or sign up for RotoBaller premium to chat with me and other NFL analysts anytime!

MVP/Captain - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

James Cook III - RB, $17.1K (DK), $18K (FD)

James Cook III has had a great season. He has a few pretty lackluster games, but for the most part, he has been a big part of this Bills offense. The obvious pick is to go with Josh Allen in this spot, but not only will that be extremely expensive, but it will also be very chalky. So if you are going to play in some tournaments, then getting different here is a great way to get an edge on the field.

Cook has a tough matchup ahead of him, going against a stout Texans run defense. He is averaging just over 18 carries a game and is starting to get more involved in the receiving game as well. He has caught all eight of his targets in the last two weeks. If he can continue to see more targets, that will be big for his fantasy game.

Nico Collins - WR, $16.8K (DK), $18.6K (FD)

It sucks to see Stroud still out with a concussion, but Mills has been serviceable for the Texans in his absence. He has shown to have a couple of favorite targets, though. One of those is Nico Collins, who has seen 10+ targets in three straight games with Mills. Of those 36 targets, he has caught 23 of them for 303 yards and one touchdown.

Nico Collins puts the Texans on the board!

HOUvsTEN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/QiNoWnQ0rl

— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025

Collins should have no issue seeing a ton of targets in this one. He should find himself lining up against Christian Benford, who is giving up .24 fantasy points per route run this season. Collins is also seeing the highest red zone target share at 33.3%. The Texans prefer to throw in the red zone more than run. With four TDs on the season, he has a good shot at seeing his fifth one in this matchup.

Other Captains/MVPs: Josh Allen, Woody Marks

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners. A valued RotoBaller Premium subscriber won half a MILLION dollars in Week 3! Join in on the winning and get your edge with our NFL Premium Pass, which includes our exclusive DFS Cheat Sheets, the #1 Lineup Optimizer, and access to our VIP Chatrooms. RotoBaller's Premium Pass comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. Gain access now!

This is my community.. this is my family.. without them this would not happen @WinDailySports @RotoBaller@BaronZito973 @mb_guruDFS #OTC there are others and you know who you are and I love you all for the help! pic.twitter.com/psRCDbCqqL

— Scott (@scottd923) September 25, 2023

Flex Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Woody Marks - RB, $9.2K (DK), $10.4K (FD)

I think the last time I wrote something up about Woody Marks, he ended up getting surpassed by Nick Chubb for that game only. That was wild, but it looks like across the last few games, Marks has taken over as the lead back in Houston. He has seen 10+ carries in five straight games, to go with 16 targets in that time. His ability to be much more involved in the receiving game gives him a big edge over Chubb in this offense.

This is coming at a good time, too, as he is getting what will likely be the best matchup for the season for him. The Bills give up the second-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season; only the Bengals have given up more this season. The Bills' defense has given up the most TDs and the second most rushing yards to RBs this season.

Woody Marks takes the pass 50 yards!

SFvsHOU on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/fgVqUTFCj9

— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025

This is a great spot for Marks, and is a viable option in the MVP spot as well. His ceiling is very high for this game, and as long as he doesn't get game-scripted out, he should end up being one of the top scorers on the slate.

Dalton Schultz - TE, $6.4K (DK), $7.4K (FD)

Since Mills became the QB for the Texans, it has catapulted Schultz into being a top target. Schultz is second in targets with Mills, only behind Collins by a few targets. Schultz has seen 28 targets in three games, catching 19 of them for 181 yards and one touchdown.

The only downside for Schultz is the fact that this might be one of the toughest matchups he will see all season long. The Bills have given up the fewest TDs and receiving yards to opposing TEs this season. I'm purely playing the continued connection that Mills and Schultz have shown in a limited time. If he continues to average just over nine targets a game, then Schultz is bound to have a solid game.

Other Flex Options: Jayden Higgins, Khalil Shakir, Ka'imi Fairbairn (or Matthew Wright, depending on who starts) 

Value Plays - NFL DFS Lineup Picks

Tyrell Shavers - WR, $2.4K (DK), $3.8K (FD)

It looks like Curtis Samuel and Mecole Hardman Jr. are both out, along with Dalton Kincaid. It's been reported that Gabe Davis was sent back to the practice squad as well, but he could be brought back up to the team if needed.

After that, it leaves Tyrell Shavers and Joshua Palmer fighting for targets as the WR2 after Khalil Shakir. Both players were targeted five times against the Bucs, but it was Shavers was the more productive receiver last week, catching four of his targets for 90 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps that earned him some more trust from Josh Allen, and at this price, he could pay off in a big way if he finds the end zone again.

Dawson Knox - TE, $4K (DK), $4.6K (FD)

I don't love this spot for Dawson Knox; like the Bills, the Texans also have been tough against TEs this season. The big thing I can't ignore, though, is that without Kincaid, Knox is going to play more than 75% of offensive snaps. That didn't do him much good last week against the Buccaneers, which is why this is a pure GPP play.

The last two weeks, Knox has seen seven targets and has caught four of them. The Bills have multiple guys they could go to in this game, but a guy like Knox could be big in the red zone. He has seen a low 9% red zone target share, but I expect that to see an uptick here with no Kincaid.

Other Value Options: Xavier Hutchinson, Joshua Palmer

Sample NFL DFS Lineup

Here is a lineup option I like for tonight's slate on FanDuel. Note that sample lineups are not intended to be used in contests by readers, but instead to show the type of roster construction that I am considering when building my lineups tonight.

More DFS Analysis and Lineup Picks