Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 17th at 4:25 PM ET
Location: AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX
Betting Odds: DAL -9.5, 38.5 Total on Oddsshark
Network: CBS
Writer: Justin Herrera (@semtexmex93 on Twitter)
New York Jets
Quarterback
Zach Wilson (Sit)
After only four plays, Zach Wilson stepped in for the injured Aaron Rodgers and helped the Jets beat the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. This week he faces a treacherous Dallas Cowboys defense that is looking to capitalize on their 40-0 blowout of the New York Giants. Wilson has a career 55 percent competition percentage and has not fared well in the NFL up until this point in his career. I know this is going to be a shocker, but don’t start Zach Wilson this week.
Running Backs
Breece Hall (Start, RB2), Dalvin Cook (Start, High-End-Flex)
Breece Hall came back with a vengeance against the Bills, running for 127 yards on 10 carries while catching a pass for 20 yards. Hall came to life on an 83-yard run that could’ve gone to the house if Garrett Wilson was a more alert blocker. Last week, we didn’t see the Giants do much on the ground due to their need to pass the ball and make up for mistakes. I expect the Jets’ defense to give the Jets plenty of opportunities to run the ball and get their running backs involved. I’m listing Hall as an RB2 this week.
Dalvin Cook wasn’t nearly as explosive last week, but he did get four more touches. After totaling 59 yards on 16 touches, it’s clear that Cook is going to be a big part of this offense. The volume he’ll get with Rodgers sidelined will help propel him into a quality, high-end flex role for his fantasy managers.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Garrett Wilson (Start, WR3), Allen Lazard (Sit), Tyler Conklin(Sit)
Garrett Wilson is the best wide receiver on the team and could very well be the only one worth a damn in fantasy going forward. The one stat I’ll leave you with when it comes to the Wilson-to-Wilson combo is that Garrett scored eight points fewer on average with young Zach as his quarterback last season. So while I won’t sit him, I will advise fantasy managers to lower expectations down to the WR3 level.
Allen Lazard is a tough sell. On one hand he caught two passes for 46 yards (24, 22), so he showed flashes of being a big-play type of player. The problem lies in the fact that Wilson doesn’t seem to read defenses well enough to supply him with the necessary targets. Then add in the fact that he’ll have Stephon Gilmore on him for most of the game, and it doesn’t look promising for the receiver hand-picked by Aaron Rodgers.
Tyler Conklin was the only tight end to record a reception for the Jets, and he managed only two yards. Comfortably sit him and don’t stress about it.
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott (Start, QB2)
Dak Prescott didn’t have to do much last Sunday Night to help propel the Cowboys to victory. One glaring problem I saw with Prescott: his competition percentage was only 54.2 percent, and Dak’s past interception issues are something the Jets will try to take advantage of. The one thing I’m sold on in this game: it’ll be a defensive struggle until the very end. Don’t be surprised if Dak puts out another unimpressive week and ultimately proves to be a “Sit,” but I choose to believe he’ll be at least serve as a low-end QB2.
Running Backs
Tony Pollard (Start, RB2)
Tony Pollard tallied 82 yards and two touchdowns on 17 touches and was the most productive part of the Cowboys offense. The Jets played the rush well last week, allowing only 46 yards on 12 carries, but this Cowboys team is much more patient and equipped to pound the rock. Look for Pollard to be at the forefront of this offense yet again this week and be a very startable RB2.
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR2), Brandin Cooks (*Start, High-End FLEX), Michael Gallup (*Sit) Jake Ferguson (Sit)
Ceedee Lamb led all Cowboys receivers with four receptions for 77 yards. The day could’ve been bigger if the Giants had put up a fight. Lamb draws the hardest CB matchup in the NFL this week: Sauce Gardner. The chess match is going to be must-see TV, but I’m afraid it’s going to take away Lamb’s WR1 upside this week and bring him down to the WR2 level.
Brandin Cooks showed us that he’s still got some juice left. He’s currently listed as questionable, so as long as his knee allows, this could be a game for Cooks to show out. He caught two of his four targets last Sunday but had a 16-yard gain, giving us a little taste of what makes him so special. I like Cooks this week as a high-end flex to bring in a bomb or two and be a worthwhile start. Be sure to have a backup plan at the ready, however.
Michael Gallup seemed to be the odd man out in this rotation by getting only two targets. It might be hard for Gallup and Cooks to coexist and thrive on the same team. Their skill sets overlap and they are both battling for leftover target share. Gallup is a sit for me this week, but he could become a low-end FLEX if Cooks is ruled out.
Jake Ferguson is exactly who we thought he would be and that’s a non-factor. He led the NFL in expected points from the tight end position, but those points can’t be plugged into fantasy lineups, and the game script itself was wonky. While there is some intrigue here, I think we need to see more of him in a competitive game to figure out his true Sit/Start value. I’m not throwing him out there until then and I wouldn’t expect you to either.
Rams secondary “got worked” by Seattle? Did you even look at the boxscore or watch the game??? What kind of ignorant comment is that? Geno Smith was 16-26 for 112 yards. Rams held Metcalf to 47 yards. Lockett had 10 yards. Will Dissly was the 2nd leading receiver with 17 yards. Is that being “worked”. Not a very impressive write-up. Do better. At least look at the stats before you make an uninformed comment. Not a good look.
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