Week Four: Fantasy Focus on the Cowboys
It's Saturday - time again for some fantasy football talk. Let's look at who on the Cowboys can help you get that much needed win this week, and who can hurt your fantasy team.
Make the jump for the Week 4 Fantasy Focus.
QB Tony Romo -255 yards passing and 22 rushing against the Panthers didn't get fantasy owners the 30-burger they were hoping for. In fact, it barely pushed Romo over double-digits in most leagues. He did do his part to push the Cowboys within scoring range and even had a few shots in the end zone, including a TD pass to Tashard Choice that was nullified by instant replay.
This week, Romo faces a Denver defense that has yet to allow a passing score and boasts 5 INTs along with 10 sacks. Against the Bengals, Browns, and Raiders, the Broncos have given up only a combined 16 points with only 408 total passing yards. What they have accomplished in the first three weeks of the season is simply amazing. This does not look to be a favorable matchup for Romo owners. Expect a conservative week from him if you decide to start him.
RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - Barber (quad) put in a full practice on Thursday and both Coach Phillips and Jerry Jones said they expect him to play Sunday. Apparently, Barber wanted to play against the Panthers but it was a coaching decision to hold him out last week. Now that he is healthy, he should start the game. The Broncos run defense has allowed just 78 yards rushing per game, so don't expect gaudy numbers for Barber. Nevertheless, the Cowboys lead the league in rushing, averaging nearly 194 yards per game.
Like the Cowboys did with Barber last week, Felix Jones (knee) will most likely be held out of this game.
Tashard Choice owners have a bit of a dilemma this week. Choice is the Cowboys' only fully healthy RB. He looked like his steady self against the Panthers - racking up 118 total yards from scrimmage and a TD. Even if Barber gets the start, the Cowboys will feed the ball to Choice. He should be a solid start off the bench in place of injured/bye-week RBs.
WRs Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton - Crayton and Williams lead this group with 8 receptions each. That's it. Not since Week 1, have the Cowboys been able to generate more production from the WR position. Nobody from this group is a good start for a PPR league. Much like you read-up top with Romo, the Denver passing defense has been extremely stingy. Only start one of these guys if you have to.
TEs Jason Witten - Witten is still a steady start every week. Against the Panthers, he snagged 9 more balls for 77 yards to give him 19 for 181 after three games. He just always seems to get open and Romo depends on him for third-down conversions.
K Nick Folk - Before missing a 40-yarder last week, Folk hit 16-consecutive FGs. The Mile High air in Denver may give his kicks a little more boost. Plus, with all the talk of Denver's stingy defense, the Cowboys may have to settle for more FGs than TDs.
Cowboys D/ST -No more talk of no sacks and no turnovers. The Dallas D showed up big last week at home against Carolina. The team intercepted Jake Delhomme twice (one for a TD) and sacked him thrice, which led to holding the Panthers' offense to just 7 points and 271 total yards.
While Denver's offense hasn't been blowing defenses away, it is effective (20.7 ppg, 374.3 ypg). QB Kyle Orton may test the Dallas secondary with his talented four-WR combo of Brandon Stokely, Jabar Gaffney, Eddie Royal, and Brandon Marshall. OT Ryan Clady looks to be a good matchup for DeMarcus Ware. This will be a tough test on the road for the Dallas D/ST, so don't expect to have a high-scoring week from this unit.

After three weeks of fantasy footballing on FleaFlicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are hitting the first NFL bye week. Let's get up to par on the latest in BTB's world of fantasy football.

Blogging the Boys League
The Undefeateds (3-0)
BigRigga31's Team
Official Spoiler
Still Winning (2-1)
BTBfantasyCHAMPS
Quincyyyyy
Doomsday Redux
Almost Even (1-2)
Old School
The Speed of Dark
Flashlights
Apes
Looking for a Win this Week (0-3)

Blogging the Boys Part Deux League
The Undefeateds (3-0)
Maui Paniolo
kill everbody
Still Winning (2-1)
StarBoys
WheresWare?
Dallas Destroyers
Reykjavik Roughnecks
Smashmouth
Almost Even (1-2)
high505
NameBrandj
Paper Cranes
Ron Mexico's Mad Dogs
The Doomsday Defense Reborn
Felix Jones At Every Position
Looking for a Win this Week (0-3)
My Team Sucks

Obviously, many BTBers are FF junkies. If you've got a fantasy dilemma, feel free to post it here for your BTB brethren to analyze. Let's help each other out!
And, for all your fantasy football needs, SBNation's fantasy webpage is chock full of informational updates to help you set up your team from week-to-week.
For your convenience, here's the link: sbnation.com/fantasy.
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I'm
the only one in the league without a win?!?!?
That’s what I get for drafting LT over Chris Johnson ….. I hate football.
Sugar ... water .... and, of course, purple.
What the...
Is this the BTB league? DeAngelo went 2nd? Wow…..
Summarizing the Dallas Cowboys in two words; inconsistently amazing.
Yeah
I took him 2nd. After AD, I really saw the rest of the consensus top 5 or so backs as a bunch without much separation (every draft board I looked at had them in different order after AD, and DWill was 2nd on some), and I figured the Panthers would be run first and maybe Stewart’s achilles injury would hamper him more. Of course didn’t guess the Panthers would be quite so suckadelic. But then again, of the backs ranked in that same area, only MJD has really performed up to his draft positions, and even he has been inconsistent with stinkers and then one huge game, and Forte, Turner, SJax and LT have been even worse than Williams. Who figured McGahee, J.Jones and Benson would be top 10 RBs at this point (taken in round 13, 10 and 8 respectively in our draft)? such is fantasy football! lol
I’ve managed to go 3-0 despite not getting much production from my pick in the #2 spot, so I can just hope the Panthers realize now they have to get back to their run-first roots which worked so well for them last year, and let DWill get some mojo.
I was stuck in that position in other drafts
I was very skeptical of pretty much everyone from 2-5 before the season. In one of my leagues i picked 4th and went out on a limb and took fitzgerald cause i figured he was much more of a sure thing compared to the top 5 projected backs.
The preseason top 10 rbs last year were absolutely horrible too.
But
you have the best name-
for your team!
by Realist Larry on Oct 3, 2009 2:47 PM CDT up reply actions
I can't decide if I should roll out Dallas D again or pick up the Bengals D
I’d have to drop Dallas DST to do it and I think that may be a mistake considering the ugly mess of D’s on the waiver wire. After all, they did reward me last week for sticking with them for 3 weeks straight!
Summarizing the Dallas Cowboys in two words; inconsistently amazing.
I picked up the Bengals in my other league
where I’m working the wire and playing matchups each week (Broncos got me a nice score last week). They are the top rated D on a lot of rankings this week. And against the conservative Orton, I don’t see the Boys getting a lot of sacks or INTs this week.
I'm sticking with the Dallas D.
Screw it!
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 3, 2009 9:16 PM CDT up reply actions
I've got a choice between
Denver’s D – which I’m not gonna play against Dallas, and
Green Bay’s D – which will have their hands full of Peterson and Farve , yuck
I have GB's D in one league and they've been great for me.
I’m thinking Woodson gets a Pick6 on MNF.
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 3, 2009 10:05 PM CDT up reply actions
i'm the other 0-fer...
this is the year everyone puts up great numbers against me….if i score 100 they score 130..
"Let me tell you sumthin' son ! an ass whippin' hurts no matter what kinda shape your in ! " Stone Cold Steve Austin
Tashard Choice or Correl Buckhalter
i cant decide and i hate that they play each other and would hate to make the wrong decision while watching
TCHoice
They are saying TC will get 20+ carriers. I don’t expect Buckhalter to excel on limited touches all year.
"No matter where you go, you are what you are playa"-Jay Z
Twitter Account
by Wmillion on Oct 3, 2009 3:35 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm seeing reports that
Choice should get the majority of the work even with MBIII dressed to play.
If that’s true, (and I don’t know that it is) I’d start Choice over Buckhalter, plus I’m thinking that the Dallas D is stiffer versus the run than Denver’s D this week.
Start Choice!!!
Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber is listed as probable for Sunday’s game in Denver, but that doesn’t mean he will assume his normal role in the offense.
Second-year running back Tashard Choice will get the majority of the work at tailback Sunday, according to a source.
Barber made the trip to Denver and is expected to be active for the game, but there’s still some uncertainty about how effective he can be with the left quadriceps injury. The Cowboys believe they can lean on Choice, based on how he performed in 2008. He had 62 carries for 325 yards and two touchdowns during a four-game stretch against the Steelers, Giants, Ravens and Eagles to end the season.
Choice could be a top 5 RB this week.
homerism as a tie breaker
if I am really are stuck and can’t decide based on all logical reasons, I will let homerism be a tie-breaker. If Choice explodes and I had him on my bench I’d feel a lot worse than if it happened with Buckhalter. But actually most rankings have Choice pretty well ahead of Buckhalter anyway. I also picked up Choice in my other league and plugged him in at RB2.
Even with Barber playing, I think they may limit his touches and give Choice a good workload, and the Boys are just running so effectively that he’s a good bet to put up some nice numbers. Plus I think the Denver D is overrated based on the teams they’ve played so far, while the Boys have bounced back from their first game nicely and held both the Giants and Panthers, two good running teams, in check.
I do the same
but I think Choice will definitely outperform Buckhalter. If it was barber vs. buckhalter i actually wouldn’t be so sure.
Our matchup this week is gonna be low scoring. Gores hurt, and ryan and white are on bye, while half of your team is on their bye week.
yeah, between us we've got 10 guys either on bye or injured lol.
my RB would normally be suited for a low RB2/flex play, trying to decide between Bradshaw and M. Moore. And that’s the only real decision I have to make with all my other guys on bye.
I think Brown could be in for a big day against Seattle though, and S. Moss could blow up again vs. Tampa (I’m actually starting him in my other league- hate that lol), plus VJax has been hot. so I’m not feeling too confident this week. But at least I’ll get most of my byes out of the way early.
yea Choice is pretty mucha no brainer there fore me
Summarizing the Dallas Cowboys in two words; inconsistently amazing.
You guys might enjoy this site
It takes rankings and projections from all over the net and basically averages them out. It’s more complicated than that so read up on their site to see how it works. It’s pretty handy.
http://www.fantasyfootballnerd.com/
Summarizing the Dallas Cowboys in two words; inconsistently amazing.
great resource
if I can’t figure out who to start I’ll turn to the nerd and trust the “group mind” theory. I understand he’s also going to look at how accurate each ranking source is and then weight their value in the algorithm, so as the season progresses it should become even more reliable.
FantasySportsCentral.com has a similar one with average weekly cheatsheets.
OT (draft related): A good potential NT candidate is playing tonight
Vol Dan Williams (6’2 327) very productive DT and a little underrated is playing Auburn tonight. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.
SO IF I HAVE BOTH BARBER AND CHOICE
Who do I start???
as a matter of fact I have
Tomlinson @ Pittsburgh coming back from injury
Barber @ Denver coming back from injury
Ray Rice @ New England
Ricky Williams vs Buffalo but w/o a QB
T. Choice @ Denver
I can only play 2 of them….
+3
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 11:12 AM CDT up reply actions
I have a feeling Barber only gets 10 or so touches
so probably Choice
Summarizing the Dallas Cowboys in two words; inconsistently amazing.
I would play choice to be safe
We just don’t know how well Barber is, but Choice will certainly get his touches.
Yeah..
I don’t take anything from this league.. I missed the draft and this is the only team that I have that I haven’t drafted myself and I am not a fan of it. The only people I would have drafted would have been Chris Johnson, Hines Ward, and Brandon Marshall.. and I had to trade for Marshall. But regardless.. I have been trying to win and get it to something that resembles me more.. However.. I ONLY lost last week by .25 points! A freaking fourth of a point. And its not like I couldn’t root against the guy, he had the entirety of The Cowboys.. :P
I went into the game up 40 or 50 points or something.. and he caught up… OH well. At least I’m first or second in my other 5 leagues :P
I missed our draft aswell
I am sitting at 1-2, but am in the process of churning my roster, I have dumped almost half of the players I drafted.
The Knights season may have just ended, but the Cowboys year is just begining!
by aussie_cowboy on Oct 3, 2009 7:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Picked up Choice off my league's scrap heap this week.
And I’m pairing him with Pierre Thomas since DeAngelo and Felix are no-go’s this week.
I picked up Braylon Edwards up off of waivers this week.
Too talented to just leave out there even though he hasn’t done squat. Figured maybe he and Anderson could get some old magic going again sometime this season.
Anyway, should I start Edwards against the Bengals or Berrian against the Packers this week?
Well, here is what www.fantasysharks.com says
On Edwards (CLE)
Shark Staff Projection
Quinn benched is good news for Edwards owners, but a matchup vs. Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall is not. Hopefully he remains on most owners benches.
55 yards receiving on 3 receptions
And on Berrian (MIN)
Shark Staff Projection
One of the WRs should find the end zone, the problem is figuring out which one.
50 yards receiving and a TD on 5 receptions
Plus it's always fun to have a MNF player.
That one is really a coin flip. I heard the Browns’ Oline is Joe Thomas and nothing else.
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 6:32 AM CDT up reply actions
I like having a Monday night player in there, too.
I don’t like hoping no one will score while your opponent is scoring points.
Wasn’t the Browns O-line real good two years ago?
Free Preview of NFL RedZone today
Per Barry Horn:
In search of subscribers for its “NFL RedZone Channel” on cable, the NFL is offering a free preview from noon to 3:15 pm Dallas time. If you pay your cable bill to AT&T U-verse, Comcast, DISH Network or Verizon FiOS you can flip over. (Check you local listings for the channel.)
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
I recommend the Red Zone if you can't afford Sunday ticket.
They show a little from all the games and it only cost me six bucks a month. Love Sunday Ticket, but it’s been too cashy for me the last two seasons.
Chauncey Washington now in the RB mix.
Will be interesting to see how they bring him along. I’d be surprised if he gets any work other than ST, unless we get a blowout going.
In need of depth at running back, the Cowboys signed Chauncey Washington off their practice squad and released safety Marvin White.
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
Marvin White?
Was he on the active roster? Who is (was) he?
He was a safety they picked up, I think during the last week of preseason.
He was #27 and played mostly ST. Evidently, Chauncey has been lining up as an OLineman on the ST coverage units and is supposed to be a good player on those units.
Another guy with dreads, mon!
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions
OK guys
Help!! I need opinions. Addai vs Seattle or Fred Jackson @ Miami. Miami with the 3rd ranked def against the run.
3rd against the run...
…AND M. Lynch is back to steal carries from Jackson. I sat Jackson on my team to let the platoon RB situation pan out….
I have the same debate.
Except I’ve got Addai and Jackson
or
Jerome Henderson in CLE vs. Cincy
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions
James Davis just got IR'd and Jamal is hurt.
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions
PPR league for me.
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 11:16 AM CDT up reply actions
Miami's offense
gets even more conservative with Henne at QB, I think Miami runs runs runs and limits offensive snaps for Buffalo. Add Marshawn Lynch to that and I don’t like Jackson this week. I’m starting Addaiin the hopes he scores early because he probably some out after Indy gets a big lead
Welker only if he's healthy.
I read that the Steelers are gonna use Mewelde Moore more.
Jai guru deva, ommm
http://twitter.com/BloggingTheBoys
by Aaron Novinger on Oct 4, 2009 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions

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