Dallas Cowboys - Fantasy News

Cowboys vs. Redskins Start 'Em / Sit 'Em

by Adam Markowitz

10/25/17

NFL

Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott

Though no team is out of the playoff race in the NFC this side of San Francisco, the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys could start panicking any moment now. Both squads are 3-3 through their first six games of the season, and winning this much-anticipated matchup on Sunday afternoon is crucial to both sides.

Dallas, of course, is coming off of its best game of the season, a 40-10 win over the 49ers in Santa Clara.

But Washington was broken down by Philadelphia on Monday Night Football in a 34-24 defeat, and it now has to get ready for the defending NFC East champs with a short week of preparation.

Dallas Cowboys Week 8 Projected Fantasy Points
Dak Prescott: 20.5 PFP
Ezekiel Elliott: 17.0 PFP
Dez Bryant: 12.5 PFP
Jason Witten: 9.5 PFP
Cole Beasley: 7.0 PFP
Terrance Williams: 6.5 PFP

Washington Redskins Week 8 Projected Fantasy Points
Kirk Cousins: 17.5 PFP
Chris Thompson: 10.5 PFP
Jordan Reed: 9.5 PFP
Terrelle Pryor: 8.0 PFP
Nick Rose: 6.5 PFP
Jamison Crowder: 6.5 PFP
Rob Kelley: 5.5 PFP
Vernon Davis: 5.5 PFP

Start 'Em: Ezekiel Elliott (17.0 PFP)

It hurts to back anyone with a Projected Fantasy Points total of 17 nowadays, but it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Cowboys are going to ride their second-year back until the day he actually has to serve his six-game suspension.

We know that Zeke is going to be good to go this week, as his injunction hearing isn't until October 30. If last week was any indication of how Dallas plans to use him moving forward—Elliott touched the ball 27 times despite not playing in the fourth quarter—he could see Le'Veon Bell-esque volume against the Redskins.

Elliott will have to score a touchdown and at least inch near 100 rushing yards to get us to this PFP, but we think he'll get there.

Sit 'Em: Jason Witten (9.5 PFP)

Witten has moments in this Dallas offense where he just seems forgotten. He does lead the team in receptions and is second in targets, but he is also averaging just 9.1 yards per reception.

His target count this year has been inconsistent: 9, 13, 4, 2, 10 and 4. He would have had zero chance to beat a PFP like 9.5 in half of those games. Two of the other three required Witten to get into the end zone to beat us. We'll take our chances that he doesn't score on Sunday.

Start 'Em: Kirk Cousins (17.5 PFP)

You like that?

Cousins has scored 24.92, 28.80, 20.60 and 27.80 Dober Fantasy Points in his last four games, throwing for at least 300 yards in three of the four affairs. In that run, he is completing over 70 percent of his passes and has 11 touchdowns versus two interceptions.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Cousins is playing at a super-high level right now for fantasy footballers, and his PFP should be upwards of 20. Until that adjustment is made, we're going to keep riding him until this train falls off the tracks.

Sit 'Em: Jordan Reed (9.5 PFP)

It's easy to look back at the game Reed had last week against Philly and suggest that he should easily fly over 9.5 PFP. It's also true that Reed scored two touchdowns against Dallas on Thanksgiving Day last year in a game in which he missed almost a full half of football because of an injury.

Still, we don't see the value here. Take out the game last week, and Reed is averaging 4.5 catches for 35.5 yards per contest—a total of just 5.80 DFP per outing.

Reed has found the end zone in just three of his last 10 games, and he's almost certainly going to have to score to beat us on Sunday, too.