Dallas City News

With another season of Dallas Cowboys football closing approaching, it’s hard not to set high expectations. While we don’t know how far this team will ultimately go, it’s a reasonable safe bet that they will be a better-than-average team. Regardless of where they finish, some good things are coming. There will be good things on offense, good things on defense, and good things on special teams.

This means several players will once again be strong fantasy football contributors. Who are these players and just how strong will they be? Let’s look at some main characters and evaluate their 2024 fantasy outlook.

CeeDee Lamb

Current draft position: WR1 (2nd overall)

Lamb finished as the highest-scoring fantasy receiver last year. He had the second-most receiving yards (Tyreek Hill beat him by 50 yards) and even added some bonus value as a rusher. Only Deebo Samuel and Rondale Moore had more rushing attempts and only Samuel had more rushing touchdowns.

Lamb checks off all the boxes for an elite WR:

• Super talented
• Strong QB throwing him the ball
• Alpha WR with a huge target share
• Just enough talent around him to not be swarmed by the defense

And the good news is Lamb’s season last year is not his ceiling. He actually got off to a slow start, being held under 80 yards in four of his first five games. But once the coaching staff made a more concerted effort to get him the ball, he took off.

It’s clear that Lamb is one of the league’s best WRs, but to get him, you’ll have to pay a premium price. And with his extended holdout saga just ending, there’s an added risk that he could fall victim to a slow start. Overpaying for Lamb comes with risk, and you might be better served waiting a bit and targeting the much safer pick of Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Dak Prescott

Current draft position: QB9 (68th overall)

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and Dak Prescott being undervalued in fantasy drafts. Thanks to the media, Prescott is constantly being drug through the mud as a quarterback who is just not quite good enough. However, as we know, statistically, this is just not true. Prescott was one of just three quarterbacks last year who finished with more than 350 total fantasy points, with the other two being Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts. Allen and Hurts each had 15 rushing touchdowns, whereas Dak had just two.

Rushing touchdowns are not a sustainable fantasy metric, but quality passing on a good offense is. When healthy, Prescott’s one of the stronger fantasy QBs. In his last three seasons where he’s played in more than a dozen games, here is where he finished for quarterbacks:

• 3rd (2023)
• 7th (2021)
• 2nd (2019)

So, why is he constantly pushed down the rankings every season? We’re not sure, but we’re not going to complain. Granted, there are a lot of quality QBs to choose from and you can get to QB15 before you start to get nervous, so reaching for Prescott is not recommended. However, if you can get him at his current ADP, that’s a great deal. He has top three upside and that’s worth going after.

Jake Ferguson

Current draft position: TE9 (92nd overall)

Ferguson had a breakout season last year with 761 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He finished as a very respectable TE8. Ferguson’s jump came courtesy of being Dak’s no. 2 weapon where he had 102 targets. In contrast, Dalton Schultz didn’t get to triple-digit targets until year four. Ferguson is just getting started and should continue to be a big piece of the Cowboys’ offense.

If you want Ferguson, fine, but take him at his current draft price or later. Don’t reach. There are too many other tight ends in the top 10 who offer more upside. Arizona’s Trey McBride might be the next big thing. Buffalo’s receiving specialist, Dalton “I refuse to block” Kincaid should see an increase in target share with both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis gone. And it’s easy to forget that Jacksonville’s Evan Engram led all tight ends with targets (143) and finished as the second-highest scoring TE behind Sam LaPorta last year. Engram is coming off his two best seasons as a pro since joining the Jaguars. In short, Ferguson is fine, but try to do better.

Ezekiel Elliott

Current draft position: RB38 (115th overall)

Some people will be tempted to draft Zeke because he’s part of a strong offense, and fantasy is all about meaningful opportunities, but try to lay off that temptation at all costs. The Cowboys running back position group is one of the most unpleasant fantasy scenarios out there because their supposed starter has seen a decline in production every year he’s been in the league. Last year, Elliott rushed for only 37.8 yards per game, 20 yards less than his abysmal final year in Dallas. He should be the team’s goal-line back, so he’ll offer something other Cowboys RBs won’t, but his production will only frustrate you from week to week. Avoid.

Rico Dowdle

Current draft position: RB43 (132nd overall)

Dowdle has more gas in the tank than Elliott, but he won’t see enough volume to be fantasy-relevant. Last year, he only had 89 rushing attempts (ranked 50th in the league), and it shouldn’t improve much this season. Even if the Cowboys gave him a heavier workload, who’s to say he could handle it as his past is riddled with injuries. The Cowboys are a RBBC team with neither guy offering upside, so look elsewhere for running back help.

Brandin Cooks

Current draft position: WR57 (134th overall)

The veteran receiver finished 36th last year in fantasy points for receivers and that was even with a slow start where he didn’t have a 50-yard receiving game until Week 10. Cooks’ production was very erratic and frustrated his fantasy owners, and that inconsistency isn’t likely to change. What’s important to note though is he plays for a good offense and touchdowns are there for the taking. He should be more comfortable in the offense with another training camp under his belt (especially serving as the team’s WR1) and would benefit statistically should Lamb miss any action. Receivers are deep, so he’s not a must-have by any means, but he could be a good bench option if the price is right.

Brandon Aubrey

Current draft position: K2 (205th overall)

There was only one kicker who averaged double-digit fantasy points last year. That kicker was Brandon Aubrey. While being the league’s best kicker was a surprise, his fantasy production shouldn’t have been. We tried to put you on the right path this time a year ago.

The Cowboys kicking situation is a precarious one as we don’t have any idea how this is all going to play out. That said, we do know how it’s going to start and that’s with the rookie Brandon Aubrey owning the gig. If he ends up working out, he could be one of the top fantasy kickers in the league. Kicking is about opportunity. You want a good leg, but you also want a kicker who’s on a team that is scoring points and the Cowboys are such a team.

Aubrey checks off the only three boxes kickers have and that’s (A) Be accurate (B) Have a strong leg, and (C) Be on a team that scores points. Add that to a Cowboys team that finished an unsatisfying 12th in red zone scoring percentage, and you can see why Aubrey was the top-scoring kicker in the league. He again should be the kicker you want as he is dialed in and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he set the new record for the longest field goal in NFL history. The only downside is, this year people know who he is and he’ll now be a valued commodity. Go after him, but be sensible about it. Never reach for a kicker!

Micah Parsons

Current draft position: DL3

Parsons should always be near the top of your defensive line rankings. He’s a splashy player who can get you points several ways. Sacks, tackles, forced fumbles, and whatnot, he can do it. And don’t be shocked if he found the end zone again and it may not necessarily come on defense. Think about that one. Parsons is a guy you want because as DLs go, he’ll be one of the better producers and there’s a bit of a drop-off after the top guys. Plus, with new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer running the show, aren’t you a bit intrigued to see what Parsons is capable of? If your league uses IDP, draft him.

Cowboys DEF

Current draft position: DEF4

“Regression to the mean”

That’s the fancy math verbiage used to tell us the Cowboy’s defense won’t be as good as they were the year before. And maybe they really won’t but don’t bet against them fantasy-wise. After leading the league in takeaways in two straight seasons, the Cowboys’ defense dropped to 12th in that department last year. However, that didn’t stop them from being the top-scoring fantasy defense in 2023. They have DaRon Bland to thank for a lot of that.

The Cowboys’ defense should still be good, but they could turn into a more “defending” team vs. one that “attacks.” This could lead to fewer takeaways and defensive scores. They also might be a matchup-dependent start/sit as they face off against several strong offenses, but also have four games against the Giants/Commanders and four games against the NFC South.