After three great matchups on Thanksgiving Day, the NFL has another fun matchup lined up for Black Friday with NFC division leaders clashing in Philadelphia. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles host the Chicago Bears at 3:00 p.m. ET as both teams look to get in position for a deep playoff run. It should be a fun stand-alone matchup and a good NFL DFS showdown opportunity.
The Eagles are 8-3 coming into the matchup after losing last week in Dallas, 24-21. They seemed to have the game firmly under control after going up 21-0, but the Cowboys stormed past them to hand them their first loss since Week 6. The Eagles have gotten big wins over the Packers and Lions, but there have been concerns with their offense, especially with RB Saquon Barkley struggling to get going this season after his impressive 2024. While there have been some issues, the team had always come out on the winning side until losing Sunday’s lead late.
The Bears have been on the winning side of plenty of dramatic finishes this season, rallying in the final two minutes for three straight wins and then holding on to a three-point lead over the Steelers last week. They have won eight of their last nine games and are atop the NFC North with an 8-3 record that matches the Eagles through 12 weeks of the season.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Philadelphia is a seven-point home favorite, with the point total set at 44.5. The Bears are +270 on the Moneyline, while the Eagles check in at -340.
While you enjoy whatever traditions you have for Black Friday, don’t forget to check out this huge NFL matchup that could have a big impact on the NFC playoff picture down the stretch.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL Showdown $200K Play-Action [20 Entry Max] (CHI at PHI)
Captain’s Picks
Jalen Hurts ($17,400 CP): Hurts is always a key Captain’s Pick for Eagles games since the Tush Push makes him such a threat for rushing touchdowns. He had a pair of rushing scores and a passing touchdown last week, accounting for all three touchdowns and finishing with 30.9 fantasy points. On the season, he has 17 passing touchdowns and eight rushing touchdowns with only one interception and two lost fumbles. He has averaged 21.6 fantasy points per game and 22.7 fantasy points per game at home, posting over 21 fantasy points in four of his last six contests, dating back to Week 6.
The Bears have been a top-10 matchup for QBs this season, so Hurts should be able to deliver enough value to be worth paying up for, even though he’ll be an expensive and probably popular play.
Kyle Monangai ($8,400 CP): If you opt to go for a more balanced build, one interesting Captain’s Pick to consider is Bears’ running back Kyle Monangai, who has claimed more of the backfield timeshare with D’Andre Swift ($6,600). Monangai was much more productive than Swift last week, totaling 48 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, while Swift only had 15 yards on eight carries.
The rookie from Rutgers finished with 10.8 fantasy points, and he has at least 8.8 fantasy points in four straight games with double-digit fantasy points in three of those four contests. He has at least 12 carries in four of his last six games as well and is working his way into a bigger role. He’s in a tough matchup and still a little touchdown-dependent, but he brings an extremely high ceiling as a value play and could allow you to stuff both QBs and other stars into FLEX spots..
FLEX Plays
DeVonta Smith ($8,600): Smith had six catches for 89 yards last week on 11 targets, and he has been the most consistent option in the Eagles’ passing game this season. A.J. Brown ($9,600) has been louder and had a few monster games, but Smith is cheaper and has been able to be relatively consistent this season with a high ceiling. He has at least 14 fantasy points in four of his last five games, highlighted by his monster game of 36.3 fantasy points against the Vikings in Week 7.
Colston Loveland ($4,400): Loveland is a great value flex play since he has been gathering momentum lately for the Bears after a slow start for the high draft pick. The rookie has at least three catches in six straight games and found the end zone last week against the Steelers for 14.9 fantasy points. He had an even bigger game with 32.8 fantasy points against the Bengals in Week 9, and he gets enough volume to be a strong option to consider even in a tough matchup against the Eagles solid TE defense.
Luther Burden III ($3,800): Burden has had three catches in each of his last three games since returning from a concussion, and he has moved past Olamide Zaccheaus ($3,000) in targets and snaps as the team’s third receiver. Burden is bursting with big-play potential, and he has posted 8.1, 5.7, and 9.1 fantasy points in his three games since returning. The rookie seems ready for a breakout performance, and if it comes while he’s this cheap, he can be the key to unlocking the rest of your lineup for Friday night.
Fades
Saquon Barkley ($10,600): Barkley is still costly due to his name recognition and obviously high ceiling. However, he is only averaging 15.2 fantasy points per game which just isn’t good value for this hefty salary. The fact that he had more than double that average, 36.4 fantasy points in his monster game against the Giants in Week 8 shows he still has big-game potential, but it also demonstrates that he has finished well below that average in many of his games this season. Hurts has been taking his rushing touchdowns, and the yards just haven’t been there as much for him this season as they were in the past. He has breakout potential, but I’m fading him in this format until he shows he is back in last year’s form.
THE OUTCOME
This playoff matchup should be a low-scoring game, but I think there could be some big plays as well. The Eagles defense is superb, but the Bears offense has been boom or bust as Caleb Williams ($10,800) settles into Ben Johnson’s system. It is a road game for the Bears, but they’ve been pulling out close wins on the road for the past several weeks. I expect a close, low-scoring game, and I think the Bears have a chance to get a signature win after the Eagles slipped up last week and still seem to be finding their way a little bit on offense.
Final Score: Bears 17, Eagles 14
