Sit/Start Week 2: Reviewing All the Fantasy Relevant Players In Every Single Game

Cowboys at Redskins

 

Game Info

Kickoff: Sunday, September 15th at 1:00 pm EST

Location: FedEx Field, Landover, MD

Betting Odds: DAL -4.5, 46.5 Total via Oddsshark

Network: Fox

Sleeper Spotlight: Vernon Davis

 

Dallas Cowboys

 

Quarterback

• Dak Prescott (Start/ QB1)

 

If only Dak Prescott could play the Giants every week. Prescott was on fire last week and made sure to show Jerry Jones and the Cowboys that he deserves that extension. Prescott finally has an offensive coordinator that wants to play to his strengths. Kellen Moore used play-action on 48% of Prescott’s passes and motion on 73% of their total plays. Dallas was at 25% and 45% respectively last year. This had a clear impact on Prescott and the offense as a whole. The Cowboys had free runners in the middle of the field all game and Prescott easily hit them in stride for long gains and touchdowns. The Redskins defense is not as formidable as they made it seem early against the Eagles last week, but they are tougher than the Giants. I would not be worried if I had Prescott though. Moore has breathed new life into this offense and Prescott will be the main beneficiary all year. On top of it all, Prescott will also add value on the ground.

 

Running Backs

• Ezekiel Elliott (Start/ RB1, duh)

• Tony Pollard (Sit)

 

Prescott’s dominance through the air hurt Ezekiel Elliott’s day. I wouldn’t count on that happening all too much in the future. The Cowboys had Zeke on a snap count because he missed all of training camp. The plan was for Zeke to play 20-25 snaps, but he ended up playing 37 snaps. The Cowboys were up big and decided to use Tony Pollard late to grind down the clock. Starting this week, Zeke will be in game shape and will be the RB to grind down opposing defenses. Moore’s new scheme will also open up larger holes for Zeke to run through. Already running behind one of the best lines in football, the jet motion will get linebackers to move in the wrong direction, freeing up space for Zeke to run to. The Redskins have a depleted linebacking unit that will be taken advantage of. Pollard returns to handcuff status now that Zeke is fully back. He has plenty of upsides, but you can’t start him right now with his value being tied to an injury to Zeke.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

• Amari Cooper (Start/WR1)

• Michael Gallup (Start/FLEX)

• Randall Cobb (Sit)

• Jason Witten (Sit)

• Blake Jarwin (Sit)

 

This receiving group shredded the Giants secondary. Michael Gallup leads the team with seven catches for 158 yards. Amari Cooper had six catches for 106 and a touchdown. Randall Cobb had four for 69 and a touchdown. Blake Jarwin and Jason Witten both added touchdowns of their own. If you started a Cowboy pass catcher, you were happy. Cooper looks to finally have his full breakout season after playing well last year once he was in Dallas. He is Prescott’s favorite target and led the team with nine. Likely to be shadowed by Josh Norman, Cooper is a start. Norman is not the same player he once was and was dusted by DeSean Jackson last week on one of Jackson’s touchdowns. Gallup was heralded as a sleeper this draft season and it is off to a good start. He routinely beat the Giants’ second corner and should have no problem with this matchup. Gallup could quickly turn into a consistent FLEX starter if this offense builds on last week. Cobb had a strong game, but I wouldn’t count on it to keep happening. He will be inconsistent as the fifth passing option for the Cowboys. I wouldn’t waste a waiver claim. Witten just loves to torment Giants’ fans’ dreams. Please don’t pick up either Witten or Jarwin for this week, but in the right matchup either maybe a streamer. I prefer Jarwin because Witten runs like he has bricks in his pockets.

 

Washington Redskins

 

Quarterback

• Case Keenum (Sit)

 

So, did anyone see that coming? Sure looked like the Eagles didn’t. Case Keenum and the Redskins jumped on the Eagles defense early to get a 17-0 lead. Keenum hit Vernon Davis down the right sideline and watched Davis somehow leap over a defender, stay on his feet, and run for a 48-yard score. A few drives later, Keenum found Terry McLaurin for a 69-yard touchdown. Keenum also had McLaurin for what would have been a 73-yard touchdown but overthrew him. All told, Keenum went for 380 yards and three touchdowns. Now please, we all know the Keenum ride. The Redskins caught the Eagles defense thinking this would be a cakewalk. Once the initial onslaught was over, the Eagles turned it on and that was that. Keenum is somewhat talented and can be a viable streamer, but the Redskins line is still without All-Pro Trent Williams and has to start Ereck Flowers. Yes, Flowers still has a job somehow. Demarcus Lawrence cannot wait to see his old friend Flowers. I expect Keenum to under a lot of duress this game and some bad interceptions will be thrown.

 

Running Backs

• Chris Thompson (Start/FLEX)

• Adrian Peterson (Sit)

 

Derrius Guice should be the leader of this section, but sadly he has a meniscus injury in the knee he did not tear his ACL in. I found in my Going Deep piece on Dalvin Cook, that running backs tend to have down years and injury complications in the season after their ACL tear. So Guice looks to be out for a few weeks and may not be fully healthy again this year. In comes healthy scratch Adrian Peterson. Peterson will get the early-down work, but there appears to be something going on behind the scenes between Peterson and Jay Gruden. There were several veterans in the Redskins locker room upset that Peterson was a healthy scratch. Peterson will probably struggle against the Cowboys defense behind this shoddy line, but I expect Chris Thompson to get a good amount of work. The Redskins should be playing from behind, which is when Thompson shines. Thompson had the most receptions on the team last week and that was with the Redskins surprisingly playing from ahead for part of the game. Thompson is a nice floor FLEX play this week.

 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

• Terry McLaurin (Sit)

• Trey Quinn (Sit)

• Paul Richardson (Sit)

• Vernon Davis (Start/TE1)

• Jordan Reed (Sit if injured)

 

Terry McLaurin had himself a rookie debut. Five catches for 125 yards and a touchdown. He should have added another 73 yards and a touchdown if Keenum didn’t overthrow him. McLaurin is a nice waiver add this week because he is going to be the number one option in the passing game. McLaurin also played with Dwayne Haskins in college so there won’t be any timing issues once Haskins takes over. I don’t think we should be playing McLaurin this week though. Byron Jones will likely shadow him and Keenum is going to be under pressure all game. Trey Quinn is a mediocre slot option that will be unexciting all year. Do yourself a favor and never play Paul Richardson. If he couldn’t do it with Russell Wilson, it ain’t happening with Keenum. Vernon Davis is listed as a start if Reed is out. Davis is an ageless wonder and should be more highly regarded around the league. When Reed is out (like all the time), all Davis does is produce. Evan Engram torched this Dallas defense for over 100 yards and a touchdown, so I think Davis is in line for a solid week. Reed would be a start if he can play, but I don’t think I’d want to roll with him until we know for sure.

-Frank Costanzo (@FrankQBList)