Last week was bittersweet. The Dallas Cowboys were dealt a deflating loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the closing seconds. Yet, for fantasy managers who roster Dallas Cowboys, they delivered. Dak Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb throughout the contest and put up Madden numbers in the stat sheet. This week the Cowboys draw a reeling New York Giants team, whose season is all but over. That said, the fantasy schedule is heating up as we make a push for the fantasy postseason.
If you’re in deeper leagues, and somehow managed to get a solid QB behind Dak Prescott, this might be your week to sit Prescott. Though the Giants are not a good team overall, the game script likely will dictate Prescott’s fantasy output this week. Think back to Week 1 of the season where the Dallas defense suffocated the Giants and allowed the Cowboys to coast to an easy win while Cooper Rush took over early in the fourth quarter. That’s a possibility to happen again and oddsmakers tend to agree, having the Cowboys as a 17-point favorite over New York.
The Giants are in the middle of the pack in terms of fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks and aren’t a slam-dunk matchup for the Cowboys like the Eagles were last week. Other options to consider would be Brock Purdy against the Jacksonville Jaguars or Jared Goff against the Los Angeles Chargers. Both of their opponents are bottom-tier pass defenses and both games should see plenty of scoring, keeping the games in a passing-friendly game script.
Tony Pollard disappointed fantasy managers last week but gets a chance to bounce back against a generous New York Giants defense. The Giants have been struggling against the run and got worse after they traded away Leonard Williams to the Seattle Seahawks at the trade deadline. Although Pollard scored single digits in fantasy for the fourth time this year, he would have scored a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles if not for a strange illegal motion penalty that nullified the score.
As stated previously, Pollard has been matchup-dependent as of late, struggling mightily against tougher fantasy defenses and feasting on weaker competition. Luckily, the Giants fall into the latter. The Giants are allowing 4.6 yards per carry to all runners this season. Per lineups.com, the Giants are stingier against the pass when it comes to defending running backs, but the opportunity Pollard has on the ground should lead to a good fantasy output.
This is a weekly reminder that Pollard is among the top runners in terms of red zone opportunities. That should continue. If you look around many fantasy outlets, Pollard is a player they are encouraging fantasy managers to buy before the fantasy trade deadline and it’s for matchups like this. Start Pollard with confidenc
Ferguson was peppered with targets last week, getting ten passes thrown his way for a target share of 22%. He also found the end zone in back-to-back weeks. That trend could continue, as Ferguson has been targeted in the red zone 14 times. Ferguson has become an integral piece on a very good Dallas offense and should be in your lineups this week.
Lastly, if anyone needed a bright, red neon sign as to why they should start the Cowboys’ defense and special teams, here’s the lightning round of reasons why.
