Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 29th, 1:00 PM ET
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington Texas
Betting Odds: DAL -5.5, 44.5 total via Odds Shark
Network: FOX
Writer: Justin Mello (@JustinMelloNE on Twitter)
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford (Start, QB2)
Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford has been just about as consistent as they come. He has at least 220 passing yards in every game this season, but he hasn’t reached 340 yet. He has at least one touchdown pass in every game this season, but he hasn’t thrown more than two. From a fantasy perspective, this translates to him scoring no fewer than 11 points and no more than 17 on a weekly basis in most scoring formats. Because of this, he’s been a low-ceiling QB2 with a safe floor. He should be the same on Sunday when he plays the Cowboys. Dallas has allowed the fifth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, but they have been on a downhill trajectory since losing Trevon Diggs. They have allowed 480 passing yards and six passing touchdowns over their last two games. Although they’ve had success this year, the Cowboys’ defense isn’t scary enough to sway you away from starting Stafford in the QB2 slot.
Running Backs
Darrell Henderson (Start, Flex), Royce Freeman (Sit)
The hopes and dreams of Zach Evans believers were promptly crushed last week when he was nowhere to be found in the Rams offense. Instead, Darrell Henderson appears to be the RB1 in this offense while Kyren Williams sits on IR. Henderson got a sizable workload last week which at first glance seems promising, but a deeper dive into the numbers reveals that he actually only got 60% of the carries and played just 57% of offensive snaps against Pittsburgh. There is no doubt that he is the starter, but he does not appear to be a workhorse despite getting 18 carries last week. The Rams were able to keep the game close and run the ball frequently.
Against the Cowboys, who are 5.5-point favorites, they may not be able to rely as heavily on the run game. The Cowboys have also allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season, and Henderson only averaged 3.4 yards per carry last week which makes it fair to question his current abilities. I don’t think Henderson will get enough volume to overcome these challenges and thrust himself into RB2 consideration, but he can still be treated as a flex option given his status as Sean McVay’s starting running back. As for Royce Freeman, there isn’t much of a reason at all to start him given he should see even less volume than Henderson.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Cooper Kupp (Start, WR1), Puka Nacua (Start, WR2), Tutu Atwell (Sit), Tyler Higbee (Sit)
It may have been a quiet game for Cooper Kupp last week, but I wouldn’t worry about it at all. The Rams ran the ball a lot and took advantage of Puka Nacua’s favorable matchups in the passing game. Kupp still has at least seven targets in every game this year though, and this week is the perfect bounce-back spot for him. Kupp has lined up in the slot on over 50% of offensive snaps this season, and Dallas slot corner Jourdan Lewis has struggled in coverage this year. He is PFF’s 137th-ranked cover corner out of 185 cornerbacks. This is an excellent matchup for Kupp and one that he should dominate in a game where Los Angeles will likely have to air it out.
Puka Nacua, who has quickly emerged as my favorite player in the league, has a less favorable matchup than Kupp. Predominantly lining up on the outside, Nacua will be frequently drawing coverage from former DPOY Stephon Gilmore and second-year breakout DaRon Bland who have both been great in coverage this season. The matchup is concerning, but I still trust the volume enough to make Nacua a WR2. Even since Kupp’s return, Nacua has averaged ten targets per game and has clearly earned the trust of Matthew Stafford. I expect more passing attempts for the Rams than usual in this one, so there should be plenty of opportunities for Nacua to get the ball. He’s too involved in the offense to take out of your lineup.
Tutu Atwell has had somewhat of a breakout himself this season, but it’s too difficult to trust him this week. Mainly an outside threat, he will face difficult coverage just as Nacua will. The difference is that he has seen the field significantly less than Nacua over the last three weeks and has experienced an even more drastic disparity in targets. Even his one catch last week which went for a touchdown wasn’t actually intended for him. The mouths of Kupp and Nacua are just too big to feed Atwell a sufficient amount of fantasy points. He should remain on the bench.
Speaking of receiving weapons that have disappeared since Cooper Kupp’s return, Tyler Higbee probably can’t be trusted in Week 8. He only has five receptions on nine targets over the last three games. He also has the 26th-ranked matchup advantage by PFF this week out of 32 tight ends. There are definitely better options.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott (Start, QB2)
Unlike Matthew Stafford, it’s been a season of feast or famine for Dak Prescott. The last time we saw him play, he threw for 272 yards and a touchdown while adding 40 yards and another score on the ground. Just one week prior though, he was held to 153 yards and three interceptions. So, will it be feast or famine this week? I would lean closer to the side of feast. The Rams have the second-lowest coverage grade by PFF this season. They also have struggled mightily against mobile quarterbacks. Jalen Hurts had his best fantasy finish of the season so far against LA, and Anthony Richardson absolutely tormented them as he ran for 56 yards and contributed three total touchdowns. Nobody is confusing Dak Prescott for Lamar Jackson, but he has begun to show mobility again and even carried the ball seven times two weeks ago. The upside is clearly there this week. There are much safer options in the QB1 spot, but Prescott is a high-end QB2 with boom potential.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard (Start, RB1)
Starting running back Tony Pollard is one of the few guys who should be treated as an RB1 every week. The Rams have a top-ten graded run defense by PFF and have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. That shouldn’t matter for Pollard though. He gets workhorse treatment in the run game (at least when the game is competitive), and he also is very involved in the passing game. Even if the matchup is somewhat difficult, Pollard is an easy start at the RB1 spot. With that said, no other Cowboys running backs are involved enough for starting consideration.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR1), Brandin Cooks (Sit), Michael Gallup (Sit), Jake Ferguson (Start, TE2)
It feels like none of the Dallas receivers have really lived up to their expectations yet this year. I do think this is a great spot to start CeeDee Lamb though. I mentioned earlier that this could be a potential boom game given the struggles of the Los Angeles secondary, and Lamb would be the biggest beneficiary. Two weeks ago before their bye, Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy made an intentional effort to get Lamb the ball, and it helped them secure the victory. I think this offense realized that they need to utilize their star receiver more regularly to have success. To make things juicier, Lamb has a top-ten matchup advantage this week according to PFF out of all wide receivers. This is a perfect opportunity for Lamb to put together a great game.
Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup are both similar in that they have been very confusing this year. Take last week for example. Cooks finally put together a solid fantasy performance thanks to a receiving touchdown, but he only had four targets and 36 yards. Gallup, on the other hand, had a whopping ten targets but only turned that into three catches for 24 yards. Both of these receivers have played a similar number of snaps per game on the season, but neither has emerged as the clear WR2 in Dallas or as a viable fantasy option. Even in a game where the upside of the Dallas passing attack is high, neither is a trustworthy starting candidate unless you are looking for strictly boom or bust options in your flex spot.
Jake Feguson, like his quarterback, has experienced feast or famine this season. The Rams have allowed the eighth most fantasy points to tight ends this year, so Ferguson should have an opportunity to feast. He doesn’t have a large enough role in the offense to make him a reliable TE1, but he certainly is a TE2 with upside.
I can’t anymore with these intrusive ads. Very poor placement.