Dallas Cowboys @ Los Angeles Rams
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott: 25/39, 266 yards, 1 TD | 3 carries, 30 yards
It was a tough night for Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott with a stout Rams’ pass-rush making him uncomfortable for a lot of the night. Even with constant pressure, he was able to avoid committing any turnovers and turned in a decent fantasy performance as a result. Prescott’s receivers didn’t have a lot of time to develop their routes, and so Prescott finished with a middling 6.8 yards per attempt – which would have been good for 16th in the NFL last year. And which NFL quarterback finished at 16th in the league in YPA last season? You guessed it, Dak Prescott. And what was his YPA last season, you might ask? That’s right, 6.8. This isn’t a new problem for Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense, but to be fair, this Rams defense – led by DT Aaron Donald up front and CB Jalen Ramsey on the perimeter – looked pretty impressive on the night. Prescott nearly scored a rushing TD in the fourth quarter to bolster his outing, but it was reversed when the review showed he was down before he crossed the goal-line. Managers of Prescott will hope to see a more impressive outing next week back home in Dallas.
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott: 22 carries, 96 yards, 1 TD | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 31 yards, 1 TD
Tony Pollard: 2 carries, 10 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards
RB Ezekiel Elliott was the lone star (get it?) for the Cowboys from a fantasy perspective this week. The perennial fantasy star looked as sharp as ever – netting over 120 yards from scrimmage and 2 TDs. Elliott only had two such games last year, so those who roster him this year have to feel good about such a strong performance against a stout defense. RB Tony Pollard managed only 4 touches on the night, squashing any ideas of Zeke potentially ceding more work to Pollard this season. Should Elliott miss any time, Pollard would no doubt remain one of the most valuable handcuffs in the league. However, Pollard doesn’t appear as if he’ll provide any fantasy value of his own in most formats.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Amari Cooper: 14 targets, 10 receptions, 81 yards
Michael Gallup: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 50 yards
CeeDee Lamb: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 59 yards
Blake Jarwin: 1 target, 1 reception, 12 yards
Dalton Schultz: 4 targets, 1 reception, 11 yards
If you came into this game like a lot of us – wondering how the Cowboys’ WRs workload would be divided – you may agree that we didn’t walk away with a much clearer picture. WR Amari Cooper led the pack in targets, catches, and yards, but the snap share was close enough between Cooper and WRs Michael Gallup and rookie CeeDee Lamb that nothing seems guaranteed moving forward:
Cowboys final WR snap count
Michael Gallup 70
Amari Cooper 68
CeeDee Lamb 59
Noah Brown 3
Cedrick Wilson 2— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 14, 2020
As I mentioned earlier, this Cowboys’ WR corps had trouble getting consistent separation from the Rams’ secondary and weren’t able to break off big plays. I know that a lot of their miscues can be chalked up to the strange offseason and lack of preseason games. There were plenty of teams this week who seemed a bit out of sync. Managers with Cowboys wide receivers rostered will look forward to a matchup next week with Atlanta’s secondary – who were torched earlier Sunday by Seattle.
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterbacks
Jared Goff: 20/31, 275 yards, 1 INT | 4 carries, 15 yards
If you started Jared Goff this week, it’s likely you came away disappointed with his performance. If you plan on using Goff as a starter, it may be time to start to consider other options on the waiver wire. I know one game seems too early to panic, but it’s likely there are better options out there – plus you have to consider this type of game script is ideal for Los Angeles. The Rams dominated time of possession (35:38-24:22) by converting 9/17 3rd downs (52.9%) and running the ball 40 times. There will be games where Goff throws multiple TDs, but you should consider this game as a reasonable floor for Goff.
Running Backs
Malcolm Brown: 18 carries, 79 yards, 2 TDs | 4 targets, 3 receptions, 31 yards
Cam Akers: 14 carries, 39 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards
Darrell Henderson: 3 carries, 6 yards
Rams’ RB Malcolm Brown took the starting RB job in Los Angeles and ran with it (literally) against the Cowboys on Sunday night. I know some of you out there with RB Cam Akers were hoping Brown’s starting role was more cerimonious than anything, but that wasn’t the case. Brown certainly looked like the best of the three on this night, and he has the production and the snap share to prove it:
Rams final HB snap count
Malcolm Brown 44
Cam Akers 24
Darrell Henderson 5— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 14, 2020
At this point, I would say that RB Darrell Henderson is almost certainly droppable at this point. Even knowing that he’s been nursing a hamstring injury, Henderson was hardly able to get onto the field – and he looked bad while he was out there. I have been a believer in Henderson’s ability since he came into the league last year, I just don’t know if I see a path forward to production for him. I may be wrong, but this appears to be an A – B backfield that Henderson will C his way out of. Don’t quote me on that.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Robert Woods: 8 targets, 6 receptions, 105 yards | 1 carry, 14 yards
Cooper Kupp: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 40 yards
Van Jefferson: 3 targets, 1 reception, 31 yards
Josh Reynolds: 1 target, 1 reception, 17 yards
Tyler Higbee: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 40 yards
Gerald Everett: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards
Other than for WR Robert Woods, it was not an encouraging night for Rams’ pass-catchers. With the game script heavily favoring the running game, there just weren’t enough WR touches to go around. Woods started off with a bang, grabbing 3 receptions for 60 yards on the Rams opening TD drive – but would go on to have a quiet night after that series. WR Cooper Kupp also had a quiet night. Rookie WR Van Jefferson had a nice 31-yard grab in tight coverage along the sideline, but he and fellow backup WR Josh Reynolds only played about half as many snaps apiece as Woods and Kupp:
Rams final WR snap count
Cooper Kupp 62
Robert Woods 61
Josh Reynolds 37
Van Jefferson 33— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 14, 2020
Rams’ backup TE Gerald Everett generated some buzz this preseason as rumors circulated about the potential for more involvement for him in the offense, but unfortunately, Everett injured his back in the 2nd half and didn’t return. If Everett goes on to miss more time, TE Tyler Higbee would get a considerable bump in value. Higbee ended last season on a high note and could potentially return to the form that made him a TE1 last season.
-Corey Saucier