Cowboys at 49ers
Game Info
Kickoff: Saturday 8/10 at 9 pm (ET)
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara
Betting Odds: SF -4 via Oddsshark
Network: NFL Network
Dallas Cowboys
The Holdout of Zeke
With reports coming out that Ezekiel Elliot prepared to sit out until he gets a new deal and the fact that Jerry Jones said that the Cowboys don’t need a rushing champion to win a Super Bowl, it looks like we could be headed for an extended holdout for the Cowboys top rusher from a year ago. With that said, it will be interesting to see who steps up in Zeke’s absence. There are only two names of value, rookie fourth-round pick Tony Pollard and former Cowboy, Alfred Morris. It will be interesting to see if Morris is up to speed to be able to get snaps in this one, but Jerry Jones is on record as saying Morris has the best feel for the offense, which is obvious, having been a staple in the offense before. If Morris suits up, we will see a steady dose of both as the Cowboys try to iron out their insurance policy if Zeke’s holdout lasts into the season.
Will Dak Soar in 2019?
Finishing as the QB13 in 2018, many believe Cowboys QB Dak Prescott will leap into the top ten now that he will have a full year of Amari Cooper to work with. However, with the looming holdout of Ezekiel Elliot, others believe Dak will suffer from the lack of security that Zeke gave as a runner and a pass-catcher. With a trio of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, and Randall Cobb, it is easy to see that there is a good chance for Dak to take a step forward in 2019.
Amari Cooper’s Ceiling
With reports coming out that Amari Cooper aiming for 2,000 yards in his first full season in a Cowboys uniform coming out, it is easy to see that he has the utmost confidence in himself. We have to be quick to take these self-proclamations with a grain of salt in the fantasy community because if we take a plane to Washington, we can hear the same hopes coming from Father Time’s(Adrian Peterson) mouth in saying he wants to rush for 2,000 yards in 2019. While goals are good, we shouldn’t read too much into them. While Cooper was a top 5-10 WR depending on format during the second half with the Cowboys, his ADP has him landing just on the cusp of that top ten, currently sitting at 13. This is a good value for a WR that showed significant pop in 2018 with the Cowboys and we will be looking to see if he can keep up with expectations in 2019.
San Francisco 49ers
The Return of GQ Jimmy
Does anyone call Jimmy Garoppolo that? Well as long as I am writing that will be his name – GQ Jimmy. The pretty boy QB of the San Francisco 49ers is looking to bounce back from a torn ACL in 2018. He is not slated to play in the preseason opener, but there will be plenty of buzz surrounding Garoppolo as he is slated to play in the second and third games. It will be interesting to see this season how his play affects the guys in the section below, but the sky’s the limit for one of the most hyped QBs coming into 2018.
Which WRs Will Shine
Coming into the 2019 season, there are two big names that we are looking at in the receiving game from the WR position for the 49ers, Dante Pettis and Deebo Samuel. Only one of these will likely be able to put up numbers worthy of a flex level season, and everyone has eyes on Pettis as being that guy due to his success last season. It will be interesting to see throughout the preseason exactly which WR that GQ Jimmy has been able to develop the most chemistry with throughout training camp this season. The reason that only one will be able to shine is that the 49ers WR1 comes in the form of their tight end, George Kittle, who should once again be a top-three TE this season in fantasy.
Crowded Backfield
To say this backfield is crowded and busting at the seams is an understatement. With Matt Breida, Tevin Coleman, and now the return of Jerick McKinnon, this will be THE topic of the preseason and beyond for the 49ers. Saturday will be our first look at who will begin to take a step forward to the front of the pack to handle early-down and passing down work. It is almost certain that there will not be one that claims the job outright, as we have seen Coleman and Breida handle passing-down work with ease, but we have yet to see which of these scat-backs can step forward as an early-down bruiser. With ADPs for these players all over the place, all I can say is I hope you haven’t drafted yet until we can get this battle sorted out.
-Matt Dean
Featured image by Nathan Mills (@NathanMillsPL)