Will the Holdout involving Ezekiel Elliott Affect his Draft Stock?

Draft day is quickly approaching and you have your strategy all mapped out. You’re going towards the top of the draft order in the first round and you know who you are targeting. The man you are planning on selecting has been an absolute fantasy stud since entering the league and it’s time to choose him as the centerpiece for your team. That guy is Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys.

Sadly, your draft strategy may need some refinements now if Ezekiel Elliott chooses to miss some time in the 2019 regular season. The reason being is that he is holding out until he receives a new contract from the team who drafted him fourth overall in April of 2016.

Both Zeke and the Cowboys organization are currently facing an impasse as neither side can come to terms on a new deal any time soon. The Cowboys truly value Ezekiel Elliott’s worth to the team’s offense, but how far they are willing to go remains unknown.

Elliott is holding out in the hopes that he will receive a contract similar to the one that the Los Angeles Rams gave Todd Gurley last offseason with guaranteed money ranging somewhere around $45 million. On the other hand, Jerry Jones is aiming more to dole out around $35 million guaranteed which is what the New York Jets gave to Le’Veon Bell earlier in March.

Not all hope is lost yet, as the Cowboys and Elliott still have time to get a deal done at some point before the regular season is underway. If Elliott is not awarded a new contract by the beginning of the season, his fantasy draft stock will drop dramatically.

With that being said, we as fantasy managers need to be prepared what to do on draft day if a star player like Elliott will not be playing come Week 1 this September.