Dallas Cowboys Face Tough Fantasy Start

The fantasy football landscape shifts each week, bringing fresh opportunities and unexpected challenges that separate the prepared from the pretenders. Savvy managers know that last week’s performance tells only part of the story, and diving deeper into the underlying metrics reveals the accurate picture.

This week presents some intriguing decisions. Here’s insight about key Dallas Cowboys players heading into their matchup with the Philadelphia Eaglesto help you craft a winning lineup.

Dak Prescott, QB

Dak Prescottwas all we could have asked for on Monday night against a vulnerable Raiders secondary, with 78.4% of his passing yards being picked up by his two star receivers.

He tiedMatthew Staffordfor the league lead in games with 3+ TD passes, and all five of Prescott’s have come in his past seven games. I’d be surprised if he adds to that total this week against an Eagles defense that has madeJordan LoveandJared Gofflook like replacement-level QBs, not franchise options.

Prescott and Baker Mayfield (at Rams) are the two quarterbacks who I found most difficult to rank this week. Both are sitting just outside of my top 10 at the position for a lack of upside in these matchups, but a nod to the floor they are capable of providing.

Javonte Williams, RB

That’s back-to-back underwhelming performances fromJavonte Williams, but I’m not worried in the slightest.

The lack of usage in the passing game bugs me (four catches over his past four games), but I don’t mind trading that off for 16.1 carries per game and loads of red zone work.

Red Zone Touch Leaderboard Through Week 10

1. Christian McCaffrey: 52

2. Jonathan Taylor: 51

T-3. Travis Etienne: 41

T-3. Jahmyr Gibbs: 41

5. Josh Jacobs: 40

6. Williams: 39

He’s averaging 5.0 yards per carry this season and showing no signs of wearing down. His efficient style on the ground has opened up the passing game, and that, in turn, allows the run game to stay effective.

READ MORE: Soppe’s Week 12 Fantasy Football Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em: Analysis for Every Player in Every Game

Prescott walks into Week 11 as the second-rated play-action passer in the leagu,e and that’s not possible if there isn’t a level of fear that comes with the fake.

Play-Action Prescott

• 101 attempts
• 83 completions
• 860 yards
• 12 TDs
• 0 INTs

Williams is deserving of an RB1 ranking this week, and he sits atop my RB list of players with that surname this week, even in a tough spot.

CeeDee Lamb, WR

It’s a good thing the Cowboys disciplinedCeeDee LambandGeorge Pickensfor the first drive of their dominating win over the Raiders on Monday night … how else was he going to give us essentially the exact production that we’ve come to expect this season?

Lamb’s good day (5-66-1) probably should have been better with a late touchdown miss, but 17.6 PPR points is pretty hard to complain about. His aDOT is up 45.8% from a season ago, and while I’d normally want to see that be dialed back some, I think it’s part of the plan.

With Pickens on the other side, why not run both vertically and take your chances on whatever side has less help?

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Lamb is one of the premier target earners in the sport, playing for a pass-centric offense. The floor is elite, and with the change in route type, his access to special weeks is on the rise.

I’d be surprised if he had a ceiling performance in this spot, but the Eagles have had good defenses in the past, and Lamb has 100 yards or a score in four of his past five meetings with the divisional rival.

Lamb ranks as the last receiver among my top tier for Week 12.

George Pickens, WR

George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb were benched for the first possession on Monday night, and that could have resulted in a contentious situation that left us with more questions than answers had they dropped a close game against the Raiders.

Fortunately, it was against the Raiders, so that didn’t happen. Pickens became the first receiver this season to clear 130 receiving yards three times, and he looked engaged throughout.

If he’s not the best WR2 in the league, he’s on the very short list, and that makes him a start, even against an Eagles defense that looked to level up on Sunday night. He’s cleared 100 air yards in four of his past five games, and while the quality of target is fair to question in this spot, it does only take one to make him worthy of your WR2 spot, and he has a good chance at making that happen.

Jake Ferguson, TE

Jake Fergusonsnapped a two-game (three-week) scoring slump that felt like an eternity to his fantasy managers, who had come to expect a touchdown a week (six scores in the four weeks prior).

The yardage totals since CeeDee Lamb returned haven’t been there (no more than 50 yards in seven straight), but that’s more of a yards per catch issue. He caught four balls in Monday night’s easy win over the Raiders, the eighth time he’s reached that mark this season as he plays a PPR-friendly role in this potent offense that comes with plenty of scoring equity.

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He may not be a Tier 1 tight end like he was early in the season, but that’s more of a “Trey McBride is on another planet” thing. Once you get past Arizona’s star, Ferguson remains as valuable as any TE on the board, and I don’t think that changes, even in a tough spot against the Eagles (5-23-0 line in Week 1 in Philadelphia).