Dallas Cowboys, a fantasy trap?
Not long ago it seemed the Dallas Cowboys were one of the most potent offenses in all of the NFL. As a matter of fact, in 2016 during Ezekiel Elliot and Dak Prescott’s rookie campaigns, the Cowboys posted the fifth best yards per game clip of any NFL team at 376.7.
During Zeke’s rookie season he rushed for 1,631 yards, 177 yards short of breaking the single-season rookie rushing record held by former Los Angeles Ram Eric Dickerson. It also helped that Prescott played in all 16 games while sporting a 104.9 quarterback rating to go along with a 67.8% completion and just four interceptions.
Fast forward one year and everything changed. Zeke was suspended six games, finishing the 2017 season with 983 rushing yards. Meanwhile, Dak went through a sophomore slump, throwing for 343 yards less and nine more interceptions than his rookie campaign. Prescott also saw his quarterback rating dip nearly 20 percent.
Sure, I’ll take Zeke with an early pick in any draft this year, but who else is there on this Cowboys roster worth owning? Dak? His new target in Allen Hurns? Cole Beasley? I want no part of any of these guys and here is why you need to pump the brakes before selecting any Cowboy not named Ezekiel Elliot.
Don’t be a believer in the Dallas receivers
The Cowboys decided Dez Bryant, the team’s number one receiver for the past seven seasons, was going to cost them too much, cutting ties with the eight-year vet. Entering his age 30 season, it was a smart move on the part of the Joneses, but the Joneses failed to keep up with the Joneses by doing little to address the wide receiver position after the cut.
Allen Hurns was brought in on a two-year deal worth up to $12 million, but Hurns is still unproven.
Since entering the league in 2014, Hurns has totaled just one 1,000 yard receiving season and just one full season of 16 games. The 2015 version of Allen Hurns is undoubtedly the version the Cowboys are hoping they signed. In 2015 Hurns caught 64 balls for 1,031 yards to go with 10 touchdowns, not bad at all.
In the two seasons since 2015, Hurns has combined for 961 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 21 games. Also, keep in mind the 2015 season was the same season Allen Robinson had his breakout campaign with 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns.
It was easy for Hurns to rack up yards when defenses had to key in on the team’s number one receiver in Robinson and when Blake Bortles was raking up garbage time stats that made everyone look better than they actually were. In the Cowboys offense, the next best option at receiver is Terrance Williams or Cole Beasley.
Terrance Williams has made a career out of being a number two receiver and has a career-high single-season yardage of 840 yards in 2015. Beasley has made a living out of the slot and will have his games, but his targets are too inconsistent to warrant drafting.
Don’t Press on Prescott
A regression to the mean is expected when it comes to quarterbacks’ sophomore campaigns. Despite the shooting star that Prescott was during his freshman season, he was no exception to the sophomore slump (Dak’s stats are listed in the opening).
But what will Dak do this season? As it currently stands, Prescott isn’t even listed with an ADP on Fantasy Football Calculator. That should tell you everything you need to know, but if it doesn’t, here is some more.
Even during Dak’s breakout rookie season, he finished with the 19th most passing yards. What gives fantasy owners optimism is the fact Dak moved up to 16th on the passing yards list despite throwing for 343 yards less in 2017.
If you are in a 12-team league, there is no need to draft a quarterback that threw for the 16th-most passing yards. Sure, Dak gets rushing yards as well, but not enough to make him worth a pick.
Over his two years as the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Dak has rushed for 639 yards. By comparison, Blake Bortles has rushed for 718 yards total over the past two seasons. Dak’s rushing total will not make him a QB1 or even a QB2.
Don’t waste your time drafting anyone on the Dallas Cowboys unless it is Ezekiel Elliot. If you don’t have a top-five pick, odds are you won’t have the option to draft him anyway. As the rounds go on and you continue to pick out those diamond in the rough sleepers, make sure they don’t play for the Dallas Cowboys.
Best of luck as you prepare for your Fantasy Football draft and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR as we get you ready every day as we inch closer to the start of the NFL season!