Ah, Thanksgiving! Some find stuffing their faces with endless piles of turkey, stuffing, gravy and pumpkin pie to embody the holiday. For others, reuniting with family or old friends remains their favorite pastime of late November. Still others enjoy classic high school football rivalries, trapped in the glory days of when they threw 400 yards and five touchdowns against that team on senior year.

But for us fantasy aficionados, we know Thanksgiving also marks Week 12 of the fantasy season — the bringer of joyful tears or torturous heartbreaks for many managers still trapped in the playoff hunt. During arguably the pinnacle point of owners still entrenched in the virtual gridiron war, Week 12 often makes or breaks the dreams of  fantasy glory for many. So, in this time of feasting, gobble up heaps of fantasy points by exploiting these matchups.

QUARTERBACKS

Shaun Hill (Lions) vs. Patriots

Hill has been discussed here previously, but with a forthcoming matchup with the youthful, 31st-ranked Patriots secondary, he deserves to be mentioned yet again. Trailing only the woeful Texans defense, New England has surrendered a whopping 289.6 yards a game through the air. Granted, much of that has come in garbage time after the Pats have built a comfortable lead, but if they keep playing as they have recently, garbage time should be expected once again against the Lions.

Hill, meanwhile, has averaged a hefty 261.9 yards per game and found the end zone 12 times in his seven starts. Consequently, his 23-plus fantasy points per game is good for a place among the top 10 signal callers in the league. As the team often faces large deficits, Hill just keeps firing away, throwing a whopping 97 times in the past two games since Matthew Stafford‘s injury. With running back Jahvid Best a “long shot” for a major role Thursday, plus the high likelihood of playing from behind, Hill could sling the ball over 50 times this week. A resulting turnover or two should be expected, but platefuls of yards and a side of a few touchdowns should be as well.

Brett Favre (Vikings) at Redskins

With the Ol’ Gunslinger once again hogging the spotlight, the last thing I want to do is give him unnecessary attention. But a date with the 29th-ranked Redskins defense was simply too good to ignore. Yes, Favre’s 10:17 touchdown-to-interception ratio is absolutely atrocious. Yes, his 69.8 passer rating trails luminaries such as Derek Anderson, Chad Henne, Alex Smith and everyone else in the league outside of Matt Moore. And yes, eating road kill might be easier on the stomach than starting Favre.

But it’s now or never for the veteran. He worked his archnemesis Brad Childress out of town, while his reported “ally” Leslie Frazier takes the reins in what should be a much healthier relationship. What better way to “prove” that his old coach was the root of his struggles all season than for the egomaniac to light up a Redskins defense that surrenders 280.1 yards a game? A motivated Favre is the best kind, and that reason alone should have him fired up. Plus, Sidney Rice, his favorite target from last year, has another week of recovery behind him and the two should be more comfortable working together. If he can’t do it this week, it’s officially time to bury Favre. But, for some reason, I keep seeing headlines along the lines of “Under new coach Frazier, Favre regains confidence.” If you’ve got a stomach of iron, and need someone to fill-in, you could do worst than Favre.

Note: Matt Cassel (listed below) presents a much safer alternative. But Favre remains more widely available and offers slightly more upside. If the Chiefs quarterback is available and you want a safe bet for around 250 yards and two touchdowns, roll with him. But if you need the upside play, roll the dice on Favre, assuming he’s recovered from flu-like symptoms.

Others to consider: Matt Cassel (Chiefs) at Seahawks, Rusty Smith (who? Titans?) at Texans (Oh, right, but are they really that bad? Have you been watching football the last few weeks?)

RUNNING BACKS

Brandon Jacobs (Giants) vs  Jaguars

If you want seconds on Thanksgiving, I wouldn’t invite the enormous 6-foot-4, 264-pound Jacobs to the table. But if you want some healthy fantasy points, invite him to your lineup, as the mammoth back should plow over Jaguars defenders this Sunday now that Ahmad Bradshaw has fumbled away the starting role to him. Though coach Tom Coughlin stated Bradshaw will still see plenty of work, both backs will be heavily featured in the game plan with receivers Hakeem Nicks and Steve Smith both sidelined with injuries. Plus, when Jacobs has gotten touches, he’s been effective with a 5.0 YPC mark on the season. Now the Jaguars come to town, and they’ve surrendered the third-most rushing touchdowns in the league with 12. Given Jacobs’ effectiveness at the goal line due to his extraordinary power and size, expect him to cross the plane at least once with the potential for much more, along with some nice yardage with increased touches.

Danny Woodhead (Patriots) at Lions

Any Patriots fan can tell you just how impressive the diminutive Woodhead has been this season. But so, too, could anyone who has owned him in fantasy. The Division 2 college product has produced at least nine points in six of eight contests this season — a number that grows substantially in PPR leagues. For such a small runner, Woodhead runs with tremendous power, as he constantly falls forward and has tremendous vision. He also tends to hide behind his mammoth line, a unit whose run blocking has gotten even better with the return of mauler Logan Mankins. Against a woeful Lions defense that surrenders 130.6 yards and a touchdown per game, Woodhead should again post a solid fantasy line. True, BenJarvus Green-Ellis will see a fair share of carries, and he too could have a big day, but the Lions give up 5.3 receptions a game to running backs, which are more suitable to Woodhead’s versatile strengths. Plus, Detroit’s defense presents a Thanksgiving feast that can feed plenty of mouths.

Others to consider: BenJarvus Green-Ellis at Lions, Mike Tolbert at Colts, Reggie Bush and Chris Ivory (Saints) vs. Cowboys

WIDE RECEIVERS

Vincent Jackson (Chargers) at Colts

Though he hasn’t played in a game this season, Jackson makes his return to the Chargers this weekend, and expect it to be a triumphant one. Some may fear the talented but troubled receiver won’t be ready for game speed, but his three weeks of practice to re-establish his rapport with Phillip Rivers suggests otherwise. From his first practice, Jackson has “made it look easy” by separating from other receivers with his acceleration.

Most recently, he received a ringing endorsement from tight end Antonio Gates, who said: “He’s at the head of the class [in the passing attack] and everyone lines up behind him. … His hunger level is so high. I know he’s excited about playing — watching him in practice, the way he’s running.” With Patrick Crayton out with a wrist injury, while Gates and Malcolm Floyd are both questionable, the door has opened for Jackson to receive a hefty workload. In fact, coach Norv Turner already stated Jackson will play a major role right off the bat this week.

If Rivers can make fantasy gold out of lesser talents earlier this year, one can only imagine what him and Jackson are capable of. Owners taking a wait-and-see if approach are likely to be burned.

Sidney Rice (Vikings) at Washington

Since I boldly predicted Favre would have a big fantasy day, it only makes sense that his favorite target would follow his lead. Rice made his much anticipated return last week against the Packers, and though his stat line won’t blow anybody’s mind (three catches for 56 yards), his high usage should. In what was supposed to be limited action, Rice played in 48 of 57 offensive snaps, and was the intended target in 10 of 38 Favre passes. More encouraging, Rice told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he “felt great”following his heavy workload, showing health is no longer a factor. True, the reception-to-target ratio was a bit concerning, but Rice should be given a free pass. He was open on a number of near misses that could have produced big gains, and his timing and chemistry with Favre should improve with another week of work. Similar to Jackson, expect Rice to show why he was among the league’s elite last season (83 receptions, 1,312 yards, eight touchdowns).

Others to consider: Nate Burleson (Lions) vs. Patriots, Michael Crabtree (49ers) at Cardinals, Lance Moore (Saints) at Dallas

Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and may it be filled with family, food and plenty of fantasy points!