Is It Finally Their Year?
Coming off a 12-5 season, the Dallas Cowboys enter the 2023 season hoping to make a deep playoff run. The loss of OC Kellen Moore, along with familiar faces like Ezekiel Elliott and Dalton Schultz, poses the question of this offense’s new identity. The Cowboys did add new OC Brian Schottenheimer and traveled veteran Brandin Cooks this offseason. Let’s jump in and see what the Cowboys offer for your fantasy teams this year.
QB: Dak Prescott
Fresh off a somewhat forgettable season, Prescott enters the 2023 season healthy and focused on the Cowboys’ new offense. After a hand injury in week one, Prescott would play another eleven regular season games, completing 66% of his passes for 2,860 yards and 23 TDs, while also being tied for the league lead in INTs with 15.
While the plan has openly been for this offense to slow things down, Prescott has too much talent and previous success not to finish as a low-end QB1. There won’t be many games in which the Cowboys will be playing catchup, which can limit Prescott’s boom week potential. Consistent production with a hopeful turnaround in his INT should lead to a top-10 season at the position.
RB: Tony Pollard
It’s time! Barring any late veteran signings, the Cowboys backfield is run by Pollard and Pollard alone for fantasy purposes. Pollard, who put up 1,378 total yards and 12 total TDs last year, seems to be stepping into a workhorse role with the departure of Elliott this offseason. Finally out of his 1B role, Pollard can now be an even bigger hit for fantasy.
Pollard should easily clear 250 carries for a team that has been more vocal about running the ball. There is a good chance we see a top-five finish, with a real possibility of a top-three season. He has the skill and the opportunity to dominate for fantasy managers. All the stars have aligned for Pollard, and I believe he will take full advantage of his opportunities.
WRs: Ceedee Lamb, Brandin Cooks, Michael Gallup
Many people predicted the Lamb breakout last year, and luckily, many people were right. Lamb became the alpha he was expected to be, totaling 107 receptions for 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns. The departure of Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown in the offseason only helps to solidify his continuance of targets, even with a focus on running the ball next season. Lamb has improved every year, and I expect him to continue his dominance, finishing as a top-five receiver.
Cooks wound up in Dallas after three years with the Houston Texans. He projects to be the main beneficiary of the targets left behind by Schultz and Brown. Having surpassed 1,000 receiving yards in every season he has played more than 15 games, a healthy Cooks is a consistent flex option. With the best QB he’s had in recent history, I expect Cooks to be a solid WR3.
Gallup rounds out the three-receiver sets for the Cowboys. Returning from an ACL injury, Gallup would finish with 39 receptions, 424 yards, and four touchdowns in 14 games. There is hope Gallup will return to his pre-injury numbers, but the inclusion of a third receiver in this offense for fantasy purposes looks difficult to confidently draft. I see Gallup as a late-round longshot with hopes of outproducing his ADP.
TE: Jake Ferguson
With the departure of Schultz, the tight end room is wide open. The top option for the Cowboys now seems to be Ferguson. He finished last season with 19 receptions for 174 yards and two touchdowns. While it might seem like stepping into the Schultz role would bring immediate fantasy success, the emphasis placed on Dallas being a run-first team and the lack of experience at the position should make managers weary of the situation. With fellow young options Peyton Hendershot and Luke Schoonmaker behind him, the TE room in Dallas looks like a committee with no clear fantasy-relevant targets. One player may emerge as a lower-end TE2 option, and my bet would be on Ferguson to meet that.
Thank you for reading this article! Please be sure to join the #Nerdherd, so you don’t miss out on any of the amazing things we have to offer Dynastynerds.com. You will get rankings, extra podcasts, and access to our rookie film room. You can get access to our revolutionary DynastyGM tool for just a few bucks more. So much for so little; why miss out on all the fun?
