It's Saturday, so it's time to talk some fantasy football! Let's preview and predict which Cowboys can help you achieve victory as they fly to Lambeau to take on the Packers.
Make the jump for the Week 10 Fantasy Focus
QB Tony Romo - Against a blitz-happy Eagles defense last week, Romo hung in there to throw for more than 300 yards and a TD. Offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett, is finding ways for the Dallas receivers to get open; and, for the most part, Romo is hitting them. At Philly, he remained calm and checked down to his backs and hit WR-screens for big gains. His chemistry with Roy Williams looks to have grown and he is again finding TE Jason Witten on third downs. Romo is still on a roll.
The Packers boast the 4th stingiest defense in the league, allowing just 282.9 YPG. But, they are in the middle of the pack, allowing 21.5 points per game. Led by aggressive CBs, Charles Woodson and Al Harris, the pass defense is 8th in the league (185.8). Although their best pass-rusher, Aaron Kampman, is a game-time decision, the Packers will still try to force Romo into committing turnovers.
Romo, along with the rest of the Dallas team, is on a hot streak. They do not want to break that by losing to a slumping Green Bay team that will try to come out swinging. Look for Romo and the offense to try and maintain possession of the ball and wear down the young 3-4 defense. He will want to get a win in his home state of Wisconsin, and could exploit defensive weaknesses by connecting with his speedy receivers.
RBs Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice - Considering that the Cowboys will look to control the clock, Barber should be a solid start. Neither his quad nor his thumb seem to be affecting his game much. Though he only received 12 carries last week, he made the most of his touches - running for 50 yards and catching 3 passes for 20.
What could negatively affect Barber's fantasy status is if Dallas continues to use the WildCat Razorback formation on the goalline. As it showcased last week against the Eagles, Tashard Choice is the QB; therefore, he could get some of the TDs that would otherwise go to Barber. Dallas may look to run the Razorback more often in other parts of the field too, so Choice's fantasy value goes up a notch. Also, rumor has it that he could be returning kickoffs beginning this week.
The fact that the coaches are taking a look at Kevin Ogletree and Choice as KRs suggests that they want Felix Jones more involved in the offense. He has had success in the past against the Packers, and they seem to want him more involved in the passing game. This could be the game that he gets double-digit carries. I wouldn't bank on it, though.
WRs Miles Austin -The Eagles did a great job in making sure Austin didn't have a huge game last week. Unfortunately for them, the Cowboys did a better job at staying patient and finding an opening for Romo to hit him for his only catch of the game - a 49-yard score. The Packers CBs will try to be aggressive with Austin. That should work in his favor. For fantasy owners, he's still a must start every week.
Roy Williams - With defenses paying more attention to Austin, Williams may very well become the Cowboys much-needed possession WR. He showed some sticky hands and nice skills running after the catch against the Eagles. His extra work after practice with Romo is starting to pay off. If you have him in a PPR league, he could come in handy down the stretch towards FF playoffs.
Patrick Crayton - He usually catches around 3 balls a game. Every game, he seems to make a big play - such as his 64-yard catch and run last week. He's a real bonus if you are in a league that gives points for return yards. Green Bay has some of the worse ST coverage units in the league.
TEs Jason Witten - Mr. Reliable still has only found the end zone once this season. But under further review, he was wide open for a score last week. Romo just didn't see him in time. You have to think that they caught that in the film room and will make the appropriate adjustments. In PPR leagues, Witten is a gem. He led the team in receptions last week with 7 and continues to lead for the season with 44.
Cowboys D/ST - 37 sacks of Aaron Rodgers on the year. Yowza! This week, Green Bay will be starting a 3rd-round draft pick at RT. Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware harrassed Donovan McNabb and his pass protecters last week. Expect them to do the same this week.
Coach Phillips is finding ways for his defenders to excel in all kinds of situations. He's moving his pass rushers around and disguising his blitzes more. The secondary seems intent on not giving up big plays. Mike Jenkins is beating WRs to the ball. Overall, the team is limiting opponents by making solid tackles.
This week is a huge test for them because the Packers are averaging nearly 27 points per game (7th in NFL). WRs Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones are speedy, big play threats that can go the distance whenever they get their hands on the ball. This game could be a shootout, but the Cowboys should register some sacks and a turnover or two to help you out.
After nine weeks of fantasy footballing on FleaFlicker, the BTB and BTB Part Deux fantasy leagues are racing to the finish line. Last week, the last undefeated team, kill everbody, fell for the first time to Maui Paniolo Boyz. 'Twas a great run.
Here's how both leagues are shaping up:
The Mighty Has Fallen (8-1)
kill everbody
Heated Competitors (6-3)
A Head Over .500 (5-4)
Looking to Break Even (4-5)
NameBrandj
Deuces Are Wild (2-7)
My Team Sucks
Brady's a b!tch
One is the Loneliest Number (1-5)
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.