One of the most common questions during the Thanksgiving season is, what is the best side? Some people opt for stuffing. Others choose something like green bean casserole or mac and cheese. Or, maybe you’re a weirdo like Matthew Freedman, who prefers pie over any of the better, more chocolatey desserts.

That said, we all know the real answer to this question: football. Nothing goes better with your meal than watching NFL teams square off on the gridiron.

When we’re truly lucky, some of these games will deliver memorable fantasy performances. Speaking from experience, there is nothing better than watching one of your players go off on Thanksgiving, especially when the person you’re facing is right there in the same room. No, Uncle Tom, that indigestion isn’t from your third helping of stuffing; it’s from my running back stuffing 40 fantasy points down your throat.

With that in mind, let’s dive into some of the best fantasy performances in Thanksgiving history. Not all heroes wear capes.

5. Randy Moss — 1998 vs. Dallas Cowboys

If you’re a younger NFL fan, you may not remember Moss’ rookie season. Trust me when I tell you, it was something to behold. There were great wide receivers before and plenty of great receivers since, but watching Moss was just a little bit different.

Moss was basically unstoppable right out of the gates. He had 95 receiving yards and two touchdowns in his first professional game, and he had six touchdowns in his first five outings. Randall Cunningham would simply throw the ball to the moon, and Moss would come down with it more often than not. He led the league with 17 touchdowns and averaged more than 19 yards per reception, and he propelled the Vikings to a 15-1 record.

As good as Moss was all season, he saved one of his most special performances for Thanksgiving. He was squaring off with the Cowboys, who reportedly coveted him during the 1998 Draft. Jerry Jones claims he told Moss he would select him if he was available at pick No. 8, but character concerns ultimately led to Moss sliding all the way to the Vikings at No. 21. Moss didn’t typically need any extra motivation, but he had it on Thanksgiving.

The Cowboys actually did a decent job of keeping the ball out of Moss’ hands, limiting him to just three catches on eight targets. The only problem is Moss scored literally every time he touched it. He had touchdowns of 51, 56, and 56 yards, bringing his tally to 163 yards and three scores for the day. He even added a reception on a two-point conversion for good measure!

Ultimately, there were better fantasy performances in Thanksgiving history — his 39.3 PPR points are tied for the seventh-best all-time — but what Moss did to the team that almost drafted him will always be the one I remember most.

4. Brian Westbrook — 2008 vs. Arizona Cardinals

For most of the NFL's existence, Thanksgiving has been dominated by two teams: the Lions and Cowboys. They were the two teams that always played on Thanksgiving, and the other teams would simply match up against them from time to time.

However, things changed in 2006. The league added a third game to the Thanksgiving calendar, and it could feature any of the other 30 NFL teams. That opened the door for a host of additional teams to get the opportunity to play on one of the NFL's biggest stages.

In 2008, the Cardinals and Eagles squared off in a primetime matchup on Thanksgiving. These were two good teams. The Cardinals would end up making it to the Super Bowl that season — ultimately coming up short vs. the Steelers — while the Eagles made it to the NFC Championship. The Cardinals prevailed in that matchup, but the Eagles came out victorious on Thanksgiving.

They did it on the back of a heroic performance from Westbrook. Westbrook was truly a player before his time. He was more like a modern running back than a between-the-tackles grinder, capable of catching passes out of the backfield and even returning kicks. He didn’t have the longest NFL career, but he had at least 1,255 scrimmage yards in five straight seasons from 2004 through 2008.

Westbrook had one of the best games of his career vs. the Cardinals on Thanksgiving. He totaled 110 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, adding another three catches, 20 yards, and two scores through the air. His four touchdowns are still tied for the top mark in Thanksgiving history, and it was the only four-touchdown game of his career. Overall, he racked up 40.0 PPR points in that contest, giving him the third-best RB performance in Thanksgiving history.

The Cardinals would ultimately get the last laugh, but those who had Westbrook on their fantasy rosters did plenty of laughing on that night.

3. Walter Payton — 1977 vs. Detroit Lions

Remember when the Lions were a bad football team? Dan Campbell has completely turned that organization around, but for many years they were the laughingstocks of the NFL.

The year 1977 wasn’t particularly dreadful for the organization — they managed to win six of their 14 games — but they were embarrassed on Thanksgiving. The Bears had yet to become the juggernaut they would be in the 80s, but the early signs were there.

Of course, that starts with Payton. He’s one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, and 1977 was the third year of his career. It was also one of his best. He led the league in carries, rushing yards, and rushing touchdowns, and he took home the only MVP award of his career.

Payton had a number of special performances that season, including two games with more than 200 rushing yards. However, his game on Thanksgiving vs. the Lions was one of the best of the bunch. Not only did he manage to get 137 yards and a score on the ground, he added another 107 yards and a touchdown through the air. Payton had five 100-yard receiving games for his career, so, like Westbrook, he’s another player who would’ve been even more dangerous in today’s NFL.

Still, Payton remains the only player in history to go for 100+ rushing yards and 100+ receiving yards on Thanksgiving. On a day that celebrates gluttony, that double dip will forever live in infamy.

2. Emmitt Smith — 1994 vs. Green Bay Packers

Smith is yet another Hall-of-Famer who graces this list, providing more proof that the best players tend to show up on the biggest stages. Granted, he had plenty of opportunities to play on Thanksgiving as a member of the Cowboys, but he routinely turned in some of his biggest outings on that day. He went off for at least 34.1 PPR points on three different Turkey Days, and he’s the only player to crack 30 PPR points more than twice.

In a lot of ways, 1994 was a bit of a disappointing year for Smith. He led the league in rushing in four of five seasons from 1991 through 1995, with '94 being the lone exception. He averaged just 4.0 yards per carry, despite averaging 5.3 the year prior and 4.7 the year after.

Still, you don’t get to be the NFL’s all-time leading rusher through efficiency; you do it through sheer volume. And Smith definitely didn’t disappoint in that department on Thanksgiving. He finished with a whopping 32 carries vs. the Packers, resulting in 133 yards and two touchdowns.

That would be enough for most, but Smith unbuttoned his pants and dove back in for seconds. He added seven targets, six receptions, and 95 yards through the air, giving him a massive 39 opportunities on the day. That type of number would make most NFL coaches faint in 2024. Smith is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 carries and five targets on Thanksgiving, and Ezekiel Elliott is the only other player who has even managed 25 and five.

Add it all up, and Smith’s 40.8 PPR points was the third-best mark in Thanksgiving history.

1. Sterling Sharpe — 1994 vs. Cowboys

What a treat NFL fans got on Thanksgiving in 1994. On one side, you had Smith dominating for the Cowboys. On the other, Sharpe went absolutely nuclear for the Packers. The two teams combined for 73 total points, with the Cowboys ultimately prevailing.

Sterling Sharpe might be most famous for being Shannon’s brother, and a neck injury forced him to retire before turning 30 years old. But make no mistake: Sharpe was an absolute baller in his prime. Even though his career only lasted seven seasons, Sharpe made five Pro Bowl rosters, three All-Pro teams, and had two top-eight MVP finishes. In his only two career playoff games, he tallied 11 catches, 229 yards, and four touchdowns. Both of those performances came in 1993, with the Cowboys ultimately vanquishing the Packers on their way to a Super Bowl.

The 1994 season would be Sharpe’s final year, and he went out with an absolute bang. In his rematch vs. the Cowboys, he racked up 13 targets, which he converted into nine catches, 122 yards, and four touchdowns. He scored from all over the field, catching touchdowns of 1, 5, 30, and 36 yards.

While it’s sad to imagine what could’ve been with Sharpe, at least he gave us that performance for the record books. He finished with 45.2 PPR points, which is the top mark on Thanksgiving by a decent margin.

Will anyone be able to top Sharpe in 2024? Only time will tell. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving and be sure to enjoy whatever plans you have for the holiday season!