Game Info
Kickoff: Monday, December 9, 2024, 8:15 ET
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Network: ESPN/ABC/ESPN+
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Joe Burrow: Start, QB1
Burrow is coming off another 300+ yard and 3 TD game, and yet again, the Bengals took the loss against Pittsburgh. Joe has been a machine these last few weeks, throwing for an average of 336 passing yards and nearly 4 TDs since Week 9. He’s the QB1 since then and shows no signs of slowing down as he almost single-handedly fights to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive. Dallas ranks 16th in EPA/Pass, whereas last week’s Steelers rank 7th. While the Cowboys’ rush defense is statistically weaker than their pass defense, we’d expect the Bengals to keep their (Burrow’s) foot on the gas. Burrow is a must-start this week and is likely to finish near the top in his position yet again.
Running Back
Chase Brown: Start, RB1
Khalil Herbert: Sit
Coinciding with Burrow’s recent success is Chase Brown’s emersion as a potential league winner. Since Week 9, Brown has put up back-to-back finishes as a Top-5 RB, followed by back-to-back finishes as a Top-10 RB. He is the RB2 over these past 4 weeks by averaging 21.9 fantasy points in PPR. Week 9 marked the injury to Zack Moss and opened the door for Brown to be the bellcow, and he’s been just that. He’s gotten all but one carry and has every single target out of the backfield for this team. Cincinnati has run the ball at the 2nd lowest rate over the last three games, but it really doesn’t matter given that Brown gets all the work plus over 6 targets a game. Dallas ranks dead last in the NFL at EPA/Rush, allowed the most rushing TDs, and has also allowed the highest average yards after the catch. All signs point toward Brown continuing his RB1-level campaign.
Wide Receiver
Ja’Marr Chase: Start, WR1
Tee Higgins: Start, WR2
Andre Iosivas: Sit
Ja’Marr Chase is the current WR1 and is locked in your lineup every week, and he should be in for another high-production week. He’s one of the best in the league with yards after the catch at an additional 7 yards per reception and is going against a defense that allows the most YAC/Reception. He’s averaging over 12 targets/game since Week 8 for over 100 yards and 1.4 TDs/game. Much of that is on the back of Week 10’s 55-point bomb against Baltimore, but the Cowboys actually allow a higher completion rate than the Ravens. And don’t forget Tee Higgins, who is the WR2 on a per-game basis since Week 8, averaging 23.9 PPG. He’s a fickle asset to own due to his inability to stay healthy, but he’s scored 5 touchdowns in his eight games played, including a TD in each of his last three games. He’s a high-end WR2 candidate this week due to Chase leading pass catchers in red zone targets, but we can expect the volume to continue to be there.
Tight End
Mike Gesicki: Streaming Option, TE2
Gesicki’s goose egg in Week 11 against the Chargers is cause for concern and makes him a fairly unreliable starter whenever Higgins is healthy. We also saw more targets go to the other TEs on this team than to Gesicki this past week, but even a small slice of a big passing pie can be a viable pivot to consider if you’re in a bind at the TE position. He caught all 5 of his targets last week for an average of over 10 yards/reception, but he remains a risky option to start over other potential options.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Cooper Rush: Sit
Since taking over for Dak Prescott in Week 10, Cooper Rush is the QB31 and averages only 11 PPG in 4-point passing TD formats. He’s yet to break 18 points in any of his contests, as he’s barely averaging over 200 yards and 1 TD per game. Cincinnati has allowed the 3rd most points to opposing QBs, but that can be attributed to playing the likes of Russell Wilson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and Lamar Jackson twice. The Bengals’ defense is usually a matchup to target as they rank 23rd in EPA/pass, but there should almost definitely be more reliable options available on your waiver wire.
Running Back
Rico Dowdle: Start, RB2
Ezekiel Elliott: Sit
Dalvin Cook: Sit
Dowdle is coming off his best week of the season against a run-funnel Giants defense: over 5 yards/carry for 112 yards and a TD for the RB6 finish in PPR. He’s taken over the backfield and has been handed the ball 19 times and 22 times these past two weeks, and now faces a defense that ranks 28th in EPA/rush. The volume should be expected to continue, especially with Ceedee Lamb banged up. One thing that may slow his role would be a negative game script, though he’s yet to see fewer than 3 targets in any game since Week 6. Dowdle may not be an elite talent, but he should be a strong start with the volume and matchup.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb: Start, WR2
Brandin Cooks: Sit
Jalen Tolbert: Sit
CeeDee Lamb has been dealing with an AC joint injury and reportedly reaggravated it during the game against the Giants on Thanksgiving, but the team is indicating he is expected to play this week. It helps to have some extra time ahead of the Monday Night game, but nagging injuries are a major concern that any play could knock him out of the contest again. We all know the reigning WR1’s talent, and this is a massive plus-matchup, so you have to keep him in your lineup and hope that he avoids another reaggravation. Unfortunately, the remainder of WRs remain a nebulous group with too much uncertainty about who may step up in CeeDee’s stead – Brandin Cooks did see 7 targets and caught a TD last week, but he lacks the big-play potential that Jalen Tolbert has. Both are extremely risky dart throws and probably best to avoid trying to hit on.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson: Streaming Option, TE2
Luke Schoonmaker: Sit / Streaming Option, TE2
Ferguson was held out these past two weeks with a concussion he suffered at the start of Week 11’s game against the Texans, but he may be making his return to action this week. Cooper Rush has shown some propensity to go after his reliable TEs these past few weeks and could jump into a solid workload, given CeeDee managing his injured shoulder. This does come with some risk, as snaps and targets could be split with Luke Schoonmaker, who could be seen as a higher-end streaming option in the event Ferguson doesn’t clear protocol for this game.