Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 5th, 2023 at 4:25 PM ET
Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA
Betting Odds: PHI -3, 46 O/U Total on Oddshark
Network: Fox
Writer: Dustin Ludke (@theDunit13 on Twitter)
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott (Start, QB2)
Dak Prescott put all the doubters and naysayers to bed this past week with one of the better games of his career: four touchdowns on 31 attempts and 304 yards. He now faces the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. In his last three games against the Eagles, Dak has thrown for at least three touchdowns and is averaging just under 300 yards a game. The Eagles are also giving up the third most points to wide receivers but they have gotten some pieces back defensively in recent weeks. It’s still a good matchup but I always worry about divisional games, especially the first time they play. I’m still willing to roll with Dak as a solid QB2 with QB1 upside.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard (Start, RB2), Rico Dowdle (Sit)
The Eagles are giving up the fewest points to the running back position which probably means a down week for Tony Pollard. Given that Pollard also hasn’t had over 15 carries in the past three weeks there is more reason to be concerned. Pollard’s involvement in the passing game is the pivot point for how his fantasy weeks go. Last week in the great Cowboys win Pollard only saw one target. I expect him to be more involved this week as the Cowboys look to control the time of possession. I think Pollard is a safe RB2.
Rico Dowdle at this point is just a change of pace pack for the Cowboys. He has never had more than seven total opportunities in a game. You can’t trust him and even if Pollard were to go down I would be suspect of Dowdle’s ability to carry the load. Sit him.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends
CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR2), Michael Gallup (Start, Flex), Brandin Cooks (Start, WR3), Jake Ferguson (Start, TE2)
CeeDee Lamb has been fairly consistent this year and is coming off a monster week. He now gets to face an Eagles defense that is currently giving up the most points to wide receivers. Again the Birds were missing some key pieces due to injury and have yet to get the most out of Kevin Byard, who just joined the team. In his second game with the team, he will no doubt help cover Lamb as the 48th-best cover safety, and the Eagles will almost certainly slide another defender toward Lamb. I still like the opportunities for Lamb this week; he has seen over five targets in all but two games. Given the history of what Lamb has done in previous games against the Eagles, he should be a solid WR2 this week.
Michael Gallup and Brandin Cooks have been going back and forth as to who will be the true wide receiver two on the team. Some weeks it seems like Gallup has finally stepped up and some weeks it seems like the veteran presence of Cooks wins out. Considering they will see coverage from Darius Slay and James Bradberry I like what can happen this week. Slay and Bradberry have struggled so far this season in new Defensive Coordinator Sean Desai’s system; they are currently rated as the 75th and 74th best cover corners. Cooks has been the more consistent option and has touchdowns in the past two games. He should be a solid WR3 this week. Gallup can be a risky flex play.
Jake Ferguson has been a frustrating tight end option this season. He is playing on the majority of the team’s snaps but at times disappears from the passing offense. He hasn’t seen over five targets in the past three games. He saved his fantasy managers last week with a touchdown, and at this point, that’s what he is: a touchdown-dependent play. The Eagles are giving up the 13th most points to the tight end, but they are worse in reality against tight ends than they appear to be on paper; this is why our own Drew DeLuca has him ranked as TE6 this week. Nevertheless, you can probably find a better option this week, and in what I believe to be his most likely range of outcomes, he grades out as a TE2.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts (Start, QB1)
Yes, the Cowboys have a decent defense. They are giving up the 12th fewest points to quarterbacks. They have some scary players but at the end of the day it’s Jalen Hurts. Hurts has been on fire this season. He has yet to have a game without a touchdown and has only 1 game with only one total score. He is a top quarterback and there is no way you aren’t starting him. Hurts is a must-start every week.
Running Back
D’Andre Swift (Start, RB2), Kenneth Gainwell (Sit)
There is no way you aren’t starting D’Andre Swift right now. He has seen over 15 carries in three out of the past four games. He is averaging 4.88 yards per carry this season. Its a tougher matchup against the Cowboys who are giving up the 12th fewest points to running backs. I still like the volume for Swift. He should be able to get enough work to put him in the RB2 range. Its a let down from what we normally expect from Swift but its a range he has been in five out of the eight weeks this year.
Kenneth Gainwell hasn’t been more then a breather back since Swift took over. He has been a risky flex play every week. Some times he sneaks in sometimes he falls way short. Its too risky of a play for your fantasy lineup.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
A.J. Brown (Start, WR2), DeVonta Smith (Start, Flex), Julio Jones (Sit), Dallas Goedert (Start, TE2)
While the Eagles defense is giving up the most points to wide receivers the Cowboys defense is giving up the 4th fewest. That tough matchup will be seen at the top with break out star A.J. Brown. While Brown has been nearly unstoppable the past few weeks he will see coverage from DaRon Bland this week. Bland is rated as the 6th best cover corner according to PFF.com. It has appeared like Brown was coverage proof in the past I worry about this matchup. The target volume should still be there for him so you can comfortably start him as a WR2 this week.
DeVonta Smith gets the softer coverage this week but its still not great. Lining up across from Stephon Gilmore is never fun. Even though Gilmore rates as the 63rd best cover corner, the Cowboys have the luxury of sliding a safety over to help thanks to Bland being a lock down on the other side. Gilmore will get help from safety Malik Hooker who rates as the 36th best cover safety. It could be a let down week for Smith who finally bounced back last week for fantasy managers. I think he can be a solid Flex play this week.
If you would have told me that I would be actually writing about Julio Jones this season I wouldn’t have believed you. Jones was a surprising signing by the Eagles two weeks ago. Since joining the team he has yet to pass the 25% snap share. He did catch a touchdown this past week which had us all feeling nostalgic. You cant start him in your fantasy lineups. Even with drawing slot coverage from Jourdan Lewis who rats as the 89th best corner its not enough snaps to be counted on.
Tight end Dallas Goedert should have a good week against the Cowboys. They are giving up the 6th most points to tight ends. Goedert has seen over five targets in five of the eight games this season. He needs a touchdown to get into TE1 range but he is a solid TE2 this week.