NFL Thanksgiving Games Schedule For 2026: Bears vs. Lions, Chiefs vs. Bills and More
The NFL has released its three-game Thanksgiving Day schedule, sandwiched between a banger of a Thanksgiving Eve matchup and an AFC clash on Black Friday.
The 2026 NFL schedule release is here, headlined by what is shaping up to be an absolute banger of an NFL Thanksgiving slate.
What has traditionally been a three-game slate on Thanksgiving Day, the NFL has expanded the holiday slate around Thanksgiving over the last couple of years, adding Black Friday to the party. In 2026, it expands even more, with a Thanksgiving Eve game between the Packers and Rams on tap.
Let’s dive into the NFL Thanksgiving schedule for 2026, as well as key players to watch in each game, accompanied by their pre-season fantasy football rankings.
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2026 NFL Thanksgiving Schedule
Green Bay Packers @ Los Angeles Rams - Thanksgiving Eve
| 2025 | Packers | Rams |
| Points Per Game | 23.0 | 30.47 |
| Yards Per Game | 332.6 | 394.6 |
| EPA/Drive | 0.59 | 0.79 |
The Rams and Packers kick off the Thanksgiving holiday slate in what should be a banger between two NFC contenders and plenty of fireworks for fantasy football. The two teams last met in 2024, with the Packers walking away with a 24-19 win on the back of two Tucker Kraft third-quarter touchdowns. Oddsmakers are expecting fireworks in this game, with an opening total of 49.5 points in a close game where the Rams are 3.5-point favorites (DraftKings).
Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Jordan Love (QB17), Matthew Stafford (QB15), Puka Nacua (WR2), Davante Adams (WR20), Jayden Reed (WR39), Christian Watson (WR31), Kyren Williams (RB17), Josh Jacobs (RB13), Tucker Kraft (TE6)
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions - Thanksgiving Day
| 2025 | Bears | Lions |
| Points Per Game | 25.94 | 28.29 |
| Yards Per Game | 369.5 | 373.2 |
| EPA/Drive | 0.26 | 0.43 |
The Thanksgiving Day slate kicks off with a divisional clash between the Bears and Lions, a renewed rivalry with Ben Johnson taking his talents from Detroit to Chicago ahead of last season. Johnson will still be looking for his first win against his former team entering 2026, after the Bears went 0-2 against the Lions last season with a total point differential of 34 points (Lions 71, Bears 37 in two games). This was, in large part, due to a 52-21 beatdown by the Lions last September, and oddsmakers expect a competitive game here. The Lions currently sit as 2.5-point favorites with a game total of 51.5 points (DraftKings).
Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Caleb Williams (QB7), Jared Goff (QB18), D’Andre Swift (RB25), Kyle Monangai (RB33), Jahmyr Gibbs (RB1), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR4), Jameson Williams (WR26), Rome Odunze (WR29), Luther Burden (WR18), Colston Loveland (TE3), Sam LaPorta (TE7)
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys - Thanksgiving Day
| 2025 | Eagles | Cowboys |
| Points Per Game | 22.29 | 27.71 |
| Yards Per Game | 311.2 | 391.9 |
| EPA/Drive | -0.01 | 0.59 |
The second divisional matchup on Thanksgiving comes from the NFC East, with the Eagles heading to Dallas to visit the Cowboys. These two teams split their season series last year, with each team coming away with a win in their respective home game, both one-score games. Expect much of the same in this game, as the Cowboys opened as 1.5-point home favorites (-105) with a 49.5-point total.
Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Jalen Hurts (QB6), Dak Prescott (QB12), Saquon Barkley (RB8), Javonte Williams (RB15), CeeDee Lamb (WR5), George Pickens (WR12), A.J. Brown (WR11), DeVonta Smith (WR13), Makai Lemon (WR42), Jake Ferguson (TE10), Dallas Goedert (TE13)
Kansas City Chiefs @ Buffalo Bills - Thanksgiving Day
| 2025 | Chiefs | Bills |
| Points Per Game | 21.29 | 28.29 |
| Yards Per Game | 320.6 | 376.3 |
| EPA/Drive | 0.11 | 0.74 |
The third and final game on Thanksgiving isn’t a divisional matchup, but it’s one we’ve grown accustomed to in the postseason. These teams met once last season during the regular season, with the Bills winning a 28-21 tilt, and previously met in the 2025 AFC Championship game, where the Chiefs came away with a 32-29 win. No early lines have been released for this game as of writing, but expect a competitive tilt between two of the most exciting teams in the NFL.
Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Patrick Mahomes (QB13), Josh Allen (QB1), James Cook (RB4), Kenneth Walker (RB6), Rashee Rice (WR7), Xavier Worthy (WR55), DJ Moore (WR25), Khalil Shakir (WR53), Travis Kelce (TE9), Dalton Kincaid (TE11)
Denver Broncos @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Black Friday
| 2025 | Broncos | Steelers |
| Points Per Game | 23.59 | 23.35 |
| Yards Per Game | 342.6 | 305.6 |
| EPA/Drive | 0.15 | 0.04 |
The lone Black Friday game kicks off between the Broncos and Steelers, two teams that haven’t met since September 2024 when the Steelers won in a 13-6 snoozefest. While no lines have been listed yet for this game, both of these teams have good-to-great defenses and are not known to be incredibly high-powered offenses, so we could be looking at a lower-scoring game than the others mentioned above.
Key Fantasy Football Players To Watch: Bo Nix (QB14), Jaylen Warren (RB30), Rico Dowdle (RB31), J.K. Dobbins (RB34), RJ Harvey (RB29), Jaylen Waddle (WR19), Courtland Sutton (WR33), DK Metcalf (WR32), Michael Pittman (WR43)
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