Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, October 25 at 1:00 PM ET
Location: FedEx Field, Landover, MD
Betting Odds: EVEN via Oddsshark
Network: FOX
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Andy Dalton (Sit)
After the injury to Dak Prescott, Andy Dalton was expected to come in and at least be serviceable as a filler in the case of injury or bye. That quickly was discovered to not be the case as he put up a 266/2/2 line which is much better than he looked on the field. The hope now is that with the start of Tua Time in Miami that the Cowboys will make a trade push for Ryan Fitzpatrick and hop on the FitzMagic bandwagon. Keep an eye on any developments there because Dallas is still somehow leading the division at 2-4. Those that jumped on Dalton hoping he could be a 70% Dak can now safely drop him.
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott (Start, RB1), Tony Pollard (Handcuff/Stash)
Expected to be the crutch after Dak went down, Ezekiel Elliott had a disappointing game out of the gate in the Dalton era. While his eight catches for 31 yards were a nice addition, his 49 rushing yards and two fumbles lost were not ideal. In his lowest scoring totals of the year and surely feeling like he has something to prove after the turnovers, Zeke should be fed as the Cowboys look to continue to limp with the division lead. Facing a somewhat stout Washington defense, Zeke should get enough dump-offs to continue to warrant elite RB1 upside. Tony Pollard is someone that needs to be owned as we continue to see RB1’s drop like flies as we added Miles Sanders to the list with a knee injury last week, already being ruled out for Week 7.
Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper (Start, WR2), CeeDee Lamb (Start, WR3/Flex), Michael Gallup (Sit)
With Dak under center, Amari Cooper had been a weekly WR1. The thought was that would not continue with Dalton inserted but still delivered with garbage time catches and a one-yard touchdown at the end of the game. Still, I think he should be treated more as a WR2 for value purposes for the time being as the limitations are obvious with the Red Rifle. CeeDee Lamb has been doing what we thought Michael Gallup would be doing up to this point, putting up double-digit fantasy points in full-PPR scoring in every game this season. After adding 10 more targets last week, it is evident that the Cowboys will have to play from behind, but is more of a Flex play now that the chances for touchdowns and quality looks are lessened with the new quarterback. Michael Gallup is near droppable at this point as he has seen his role greatly diminished after having another single-digit fantasy day in Week 6. I would keep him on the bench for now if you have room in case of injury or a change of QB.
Washington Football Team
Quarterback
Kyle Allen (Sit)
Kyle Allen put up a serviceable Week 6 to the tune of 260/2/1 in his return from a Week 5 concussion. While you may be tempted to use him against the lowly Cowboys defense, you shouldn’t, based on the weapons that he has available to him and the limitations that his offensive line gives him. Without a lot of quarterbacks on bye this week past Lamar Jackson, there are better options out there to fill in while you sit your stud for a week or stream.
Running Back
Anthony Gibson (Start, Flex), JD McKissic (Start, Flex)
Anthony Gibson has had his lion’s share of the work in the Washington backfield and even was praised to be able to handle more work heading into Week 6. That didn’t happen, however, as he only ended up with 13 touches for 55 scoreless yards. This isn’t much below his average for touches, but it is two straight weeks with a decline in fantasy points after putting up over 20 points. This is starting to look more like a permanent timeshare than having a lead dog at this point. We could see a change after the Week 9 bye, but for now, we should treat this as a timeshare. The other half of that timeshare is JD McKissic is only trending up after seeing his point total increase every week so far this season, topping out at 14.4 in Week 6 against the Giants. With at least six catches in three straight games, McKissic is the preferred passing-down back and should be used in the same way against Dallas in what is a big division game. Currently a Flex, we could see him continue to take time from Gibson and jump up the rankings a bit.
Wide Receivers/Tight End
Terry McLaurin (Start, WR2), Logan Thomas (Start, TE2)
Coming off of a 12 target and 7/74 game, Terry McLaurin is solidified as a WR2 in fantasy football. With a huge lack of talent at the wide receiver position, his only competitions for targets are a converted quarterback and McKissic. The only thing keeping McLaurin from reaching the WR1 threshold is his inconsistent quarterback play and lack of touchdown upside, only recording one all year. All of that aside, continue to trot him out there as a WR2 with upside if he finds the end zone. The only additional pass catcher that garners any appeal is Logan Thomas, the previously mentioned converted quarterback who scored his first touchdown since Week 1 last week. This week he gets a soft Dallas defense and should see his usual four targets with upside as he has run a high number of routes each week. You could do worse than starting Thomas this week.
-Matt Dean (@MattDeanQBList on Twitter, mdean8 on Reddit)