Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 20th at 4:25 PM ET
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Betting Odds: DAL -1, 47.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Writer: Bryan Sweet (@FantasyFreakTN on Twitter, @bsweet0us on Reddit)
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott (Start, low-end QB1)
Since returning from injury in Week 7, Dak Prescott has improved his fantasy numbers each game and finished as a QB1 in each of his last two games. With his weapons getting healthy around him and an eye on a playoff run, look for Prescott to continue to put up QB1 numbers every week. Minnesota has been a bit generous to opposing QBs, surrendering an average of 281 yards per game and 12 TDs on the season, but they’ve also been opportunistic with 10 INTs. Despite the Vegas expectation that Dallas wins this game, I think it will be close throughout and will force both QBs to keep the pressure on the opposing defense. Look for Prescott to sneak into the QB1 tier once again this week for fantasy managers.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard (Start, RB2), Ezekiel Elliott (Sit, low-end FLEX)
It’s hard to project the usage for Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott because nobody is sure what condition Elliott’s knee is in. Elliott was a late inactive last week, making it two missed games in a row, and Pollard has been sensational in Elliott’s absence. Pollard has put up a total of 275 yards and four TDs in the last two weeks and has been an RB1 both weeks. The Cowboys, and probably more specifically Jerry Jones, have stubbornly held to the fact that Elliott is the workhorse when healthy but Pollard has proven to be the better RB right now. I think Pollard can get to RB2 status regardless of whether Elliott plays, but he would almost assuredly become an RB1 if Elliott were ruled out. Minnesota has been decent against the run this season (10th in the NFL at 106 yards per game) but the biggest question for fantasy managers is centered around Elliott. If he plays, Pollard is a solid RB2 and Elliott deserves FLEX consideration. If Elliott is out, Pollard becomes an RB1 option.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR1), Michael Gallup (Sit), Noah Brown (Sit), Dalton Schultz (Start, TE1)
Was last week the breakout we’ve been waiting for from CeeDee Lamb? Lamb amassed 15 targets last week en route to an 11 reception, 150-yard, two-TD day. The 15 targets matched a career-high from Week 1 of last season and the 150 yards set a new career high. We just saw what Stefon Diggs was able to do against this secondary last week (12 receptions on 16 targets for 128 yards) so the arrow is pointing up for Lamb and fantasy managers relying on him for a playoff push. Minnesota has been efficient at keeping WRs out of the end zone, allowing just eight to the position this season, but if Lamb continues his role as Prescott’s #1 option, the volume should produce WR1 numbers in Week 11.
Lamb is the only WR to have played in all nine of Dallas’s games this season, but recent snap counts indicate the #2 WR and #3 WR are set with Michael Gallup and Noah Brown, respectively. Gallup has been quiet since returning to the lineup in Week 4, topping out at 49 yards in Week 8 and not scoring a TD since his Week 4 return. Gallup has seen a consistent number of targets from game to game, so opportunity isn’t the issue with his decreased production. Gallup seems to have fallen to third in the target pecking order and he simply isn’t doing enough with his chances to trust him this late in the fantasy season. Fantasy managers would be wise to look elsewhere for help at the position this week. As for Brown, his role has diminished considerably with the return of Gallup, and Brown has had more than one reception just once over the past four games. Behind Gallup in target share, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Brown is fantasy relevant as long as all other WRs on Dallas’s roster are healthy. Fantasy managers should keep Brown on their bench this week.
If you’re looking for the #2 option in the passing game for Prescott, look no further than Dalton Schultz. Schultz missed a couple of weeks earlier in the season but has been consistent over the team’s last three games, averaging nearly six receptions per game and 60 yards per game. Schultz hasn’t been able to find the end zone much this season, with his first coming last week. Minnesota gives up an average of four receptions and 50 yards per game to the TE position, so there is no reason to think Schultz can’t approach or exceed the numbers he’s posted over the past few weeks. Schultz isn’t a sexy pick, but he should still return TE1 value this week for fantasy managers.
Minnesota Vikings
Quarterback
Kirk Cousins (Start, low-end QB1)
Nothing stands out when you look at the game logs for Kirk Cousins, yet he seems to consistently be in the QB1 conversation every week. Through his nine games, Cousins has finished as a fantasy QB1 six times despite having no games with more than two TDs and only one game with 300+ passing yards. Cousins has thrown a TD pass in every game this season, however, and only has three games with fewer than 250 passing yards. Dallas has been pretty good against opposing QBs, holding them to just more than 200 passing yards per game and surrendering just 11 passing TDs on the season. However, seven of those passing TDs have come over the last four games, so they are trending in the wrong direction in that category. This is expected to be a tightly contested game throughout so both QBs should be involved the whole game. Cousins hasn’t given us any reason to doubt him yet, so expect a low-end QB1 performance once again in Week 11.
Running Backs
Dalvin Cook (Start, RB1), Alexander Mattison (Sit)
Teams facing the Cowboys have been content running the ball more than passing it so far this season, which is welcome news to fantasy managers with Dalvin Cook locked into one of their RB spots. Cook is on pace to do something he’s not been able to do during his six-year career: stay healthy for a full season. Cook has missed at least two games every season so far but has been fully involved for Minnesota’s first nine games this season. Despite a slight downtick in attempts this season (averaging 16.1 attempts this season compared to 17.9 for his career), Cook is still putting up RB1 numbers because of a slight uptick in involvement in the passing game. Cook is averaging nearly four targets per game, which puts him on pace to match or exceed his career-high of 63 set in 2019. Dallas should see a heavy dose of Cook this weekend and fantasy managers should bank on another RB1 performance.
A healthy Cook has spelled doomed for fantasy managers hoping to get RB1 production from Alexander Mattison at some point this season. Mattison is seeing half the touches he’s seen since entering the league in 2019, averaging just four carries per game and one target per game. Mattison has proven to be a reliable asset to both the Vikings and fantasy managers when given the opportunity, but the opportunities have been few and far between this season and there is no indication that will change anytime soon. Mattison is nice bench depth that carries immense upside if something were to happen to Cook, but Cook is healthy and Mattison should stay on your bench this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Justin Jefferson (Start, WR1), Adam Thielen (Start, low-end WR2), K.J. Osborn (Sit), T.J. Hockenson (Start, TE1)
I know this has been beaten to death on highlight shows and sportscasts but, man, that catch. Justin Jefferson is making an argument for him being the #1 WR in all of football and there are only a few guys I could put in the conversation. Through nine games, Jefferson is fourth in the NFL in receptions (69) and second in yards (1,060, trailing only Tyreek at 1,148) but his TDs are a bit disappointing with four. Jefferson is also lapping his team when it comes to targets with 100 (the next two highest COMBINED have 108) and there is no reason to think that trend won’t continue. Jefferson is among a select few players that you can set and forget, so slot him in at WR and reap the rewards this week.
The attention Jefferson is drawing from the opponent’s secondaries can mean only good things for his teammates in the WR room. Both Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn see fewer double teams and rarely have to face off with the defense’s best CB with Jefferson out there. Unfortunately, because Jefferson is so good, he’s soaking up most of the targets which leaves Thielen and Osborn fighting for the leftovers. So far, Thielen has been the biggest beneficiary as he has 20 more targets than Osborn, which has led to 18 more receptions and 247 more yards. Thielen also consistently sees more snaps than Osborn, which makes him a slightly more attractive option for fantasy managers. Thielen has gained enough trust from Cousins to make him a viable weekly fantasy option and I suspect we’ll see another low-end WR2 outing from Thielen this week. Osborn flashes big-play ability but just doesn’t see enough targets to warrant serious fantasy consideration. Keep Osborn on your bench in Week 11.
As a Lions fan, it’s hard to see T.J. Hockenson donning purple, but he has immediately become a focal point of the offense for Minnesota. Since joining the team, Hockenson trails only Jefferson in targets with 19 but has seen a sharp decline in yards per target when compared to his games in Detroit (9.19 yards per target with Detroit, 6.05 with Minnesota). Despite the dip in yardage, his usage is off the charts and volume is king when it comes to fantasy football. Dallas has been very good against opposing TEs this season, allowing just 36 yards per game to the position and only one TD on the season, but he does own the second-highest yardage total against them this year when he played them in Week 7 as a member of the Lions. (Ironically, the most yards Dallas has surrendered to the position came in that same game to Brock Wright). Look for Hockenson to continue to be highly involved in the offense and return TE1-level production this week.