Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, September 27th at 4:25 PM ET
Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA
Betting Odds: DAL +4.5, 55.5 total via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Dak Prescott (Start, QB1)
The Seahawks were pretty level with the Cowboys last year when it came to fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. My take on Dak Prescott will be similar to my take on Wilson this week. They are both among the best quarterbacks in the league, and both are battling stingy defenses against fantasy quarterbacks this week. Dak had an underwhelming Week 1 but exploded in Week 2 for three rushing touchdowns. Expecting another three rushing touchdowns is unrealistic, but Prescott should be capable of a low-end QB1 performance this week in a game that should be a high-scoring affair. Also, Seattle has likely lost safety Marquise Blair to a season-ending injury, which should make things a bit easier on Dak.
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott (Start, RB1)
The Seahawks weren’t very good against the rush last year, allowing opposing running backs to average 19.8 fantasy points per game in 2019. On the other hand, Seattle has been pretty good against opposing running backs so far this year (top six in the league in 2020). Another 22 carries with some catches sprinkled in should be enough for Ezekiel Elliott, the current RB5 on the 2020 season, to once again reach RB1 territory this week.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Amari Cooper (Start, WR2), CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR2), Michael Gallup (Start, Flex), Dalton Schultz (Startable high-end TE2)
I’ve been pleased with Amari Cooper’s fantasy output so far. He’s put up WR2 numbers over the first two weeks of the season, receiving a healthy 16.1% target share, and has yet to find the end zone. Cooper should have WR1 upside once those touchdowns start coming. Seattle was bottom-10 last year in passing yards allowed per game and are currently dead last in 2020. With plenty of opportunities this Sunday, Cooper should be in line for another WR2 showing with WR1 upside if he can find the end zone.
I’ve listed CeeDee Lamb second because he has out-targeted Gallup over the first two games of the 2020 season and seems to be trending up. The rookie had a pretty mediocre Week 1 but stepped up in Week 2 to deliver a respectable WR2 performance. Lamb has not yet recorded his first NFL touchdown. Considering he’s the second most targeted Dallas receiver over the past two weeks, I believe CeeDee is capable of another WR2 performance in a game where Dak should be throwing the ball quite a bit. I like Lamb this week and think he could have WR1 upside in a shootout.
With a 6.9% target share and eight or fewer PPR fantasy points over the past two weeks, it seems Michael Gallup could be trending down in fantasy rankings. Five targets per game with only five receptions so far in 2020 isn’t very encouraging either. Gallup is on a short leash for me, and I’m not very high on him this week. He couldn’t even put up eight points when Dak threw the ball 47 times last week against the Falcons’ atrocious pass defense. This week’s match-up is too juicy to definitively sit Gallup, but I’ll officially be worried about him if he cannot perform for a third straight week. If you would like some encouragement, the Seahawks will be without safety Marquise Blair, and their pass defense is currently dead last in 2020.
With nine receptions and a touchdown on ten targets last week, Dalton Schultz impressed the fantasy community with a huge TE7 performance. Assuming Schultz continues getting as much work as he has, I don’t believe his Week 2 performance will be a flash in the pan. Dalton went from an 8% target share in Week 1 to a whopping 17.5% in Week 2. Plenty of fantasy players were hyped on Blake Jarwin this year, but after his season-ending injury, it seems Schultz is more than capable of taking over where many thought Jarwin would succeed this year. The Seahawks were bottom three in fantasy points allowed to tight ends last year, but for what it’s worth, they are currently top five so far in 2020 (although two games are hardly enough to go by, especially for tight end stats). Assuming a similar workload/target share this week, Schultz should be a pretty safe play. I’m ranking him around that fourth tier of tight ends this week with guys like Evan Engram and T.J. Hockenson. That said, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to bench him one more week to see if he’s the real deal.
Seattle Seahawks
Quarterback
Russell Wilson (Start, QB1)
The Cowboys were pretty stingy against opposing fantasy quarterbacks last year. They allowed 16.1 fantasy points on average to the position in 2019. They have been worse so far in 2020, averaging 19.5 fantasy points to Jared Goff and Matt Ryan so far this year. Dallas was top ten in yards allowed per game last year but is in the bottom ten so far in 2020. The Cowboys’ corners are pretty banged up (missing at least two starters this week), so Russell Wilson should be capable of another QB1 performance. Wilson has a QB1 and QB4 finish so far in 2020, and it seems like the Seahawks have taken the gloves off Russ this year. You can trust Wilson this week in a game that’s projected to be pretty high-scoring.
Running Backs
Chris Carson (Start, RB1), Carlos Hyde (Sit)
Chris Carson got off to a bit of a slow start last week, but he eventually pulled through with another RB1 performance and a receiving touchdown in Week 2. The Cowboys were pretty solid against opposing fantasy running backs last year but are on their way to averaging a bit more so far this year (19.4 average in 2020). Given the way Chris Carson has been performing, he’s an easy start for the foreseeable future. His first two match-ups (Falcons and Patriots) of the 2020 season had better rush defenses than the Cowboys last year, and Carson still put up RB1 numbers. Start with confidence.
Carlos Hyde isn’t much more than a handcuff stash on your bench at the moment.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Tyler Lockett (Start, Low-end WR1), D.K. Metcalf (Start, Low-end WR1), David Moore (Sit), Greg Olsen (Sit), Will Dissly (Sit)
Leading all Seattle receivers with a 13.6% target share, it seems like Tyler Lockett will continue to be Wilson’s trusted target. Lockett has received eight targets per game so far this year and has only failed at catching one of them. The Cowboys were top 10 in passing yards allowed per game last year, but are currently in the bottom 10 so far in 2020. I believe Lockett and this high-caliber offense can put up another impressive performance this week.
With 90+ yards and a touchdown in each game of the 2020 season so far, D.K. Metcalf if looking like the premier fantasy receiver everyone expected him to be this year. He barely had a WR1 finish with only four receptions against a good Patriots secondary last week. He should be capable of low-end WR1 numbers against a banged-up Dallas secondary. One fun fact about Metcalf: He has the third-highest 2020 aDOT which currently stands at 14.8 yards.
David Moore had an impressive Week 2, but I’m not sold on him yet and won’t be rostering him any time soon. He is only seeing three targets per game so far this year and only put up WR3 numbers last week because one of those catches happened to be a touchdown.
Greg Olsen has been on the field for 68.8% of snaps so far this year but only has seen a 5.8% target share. Will Dissly seems to be cutting into Olsen’s share a bit because the former is receiving a 5.4% target share himself. Sure, Olsen had a low-end TE1 performance in Week 1, but that was because he had a touchdown. Greg only had one target in Week 2. Both of these guys are going to be touchdown-dependent, and I’m not trusting either for now.
-Ryan Kruse (@ryanpkruse on Twitter)
The Giant’s front is really good. I know you didn’t watch the game, but you might want to next time.
The same front that imploded against the Steelers and folds like a lawn chair every Sunday? Anyone who wasted waiver wire spots on any of those RB’s deserves to lose.
Why is Gage set at (Sit) if the blurb about him is positive?
Because he’s the third best receiver on his team.
hmm not sure how Gurley is an RB2 and David Mont is only a flex. Mont has looked better and Gurley has to deal with 2 other rbs stealing carries and arguably looking better than him.