Cowboys at Giants: Dallas defense is a star in our fantasy football recap

Being a Dallas Cowboys fan and playing fantasy football is a rough go. You teeter between wanting the Cowboys to win and score by any means necessary against their real-life opponent, and needing specific ways the Cowboys should score to help your fantasy team win their matchup. If you feel conflicted and internally fighting a war of attrition, it’s understandable. You are not alone.

Unless you had the Cowboys’ defense/special teams in your fantasy lineup, there’s good and bad news for you. The good news is the Cowboys destroyed the New York Giants 40-0 in embarrassing fashion on national TV, and you can hold it over Giants fans until the two teams meet again on November 12th. The bad news is the offensive weapons for the Cowboys could have maximized the chances they had. Let’s dive in and recap the Cowboys’ fantasy production in their rout of the New York Giants.

QB - Dak Prescott 8 Fan Pts on Yahoo, 6 Pts on Sleeper Fantasy

For Prescott, his fantasy output is a bit disappointing. Sure, the weather might have played a factor, but Prescott only had 143 passing yards with only one explosive play on the night. Prescott didn’t turn the ball over, so that is a positive. However, he only managed six yards rushing and left some fantasy points on the board. He had a good chance to connect with CeeDee Lamb for a touchdown in the red zone in the first half but sailed the pass over his head that would have greatly improved his fantasy points on Sunday.

RB - Tony Pollard 21 Fan Points on Yahoo and 22 Pts on Sleeper Fantasy

Tony Pollard was the star of the Cowboys’ fantasy output among their skill position players. He led the backfield with 70 rushing yards and had two rushing scores in the red zone. One thing to pay attention to is how many carries Pollard got in the red area, especially inside the five-yard line. Some believed the Cowboys were searching for a short-yardage back without Ezekiel Elliott, but Pollard was the leading man in that role. Also, there were a few plays where KaVontae Turpin was featured at tailback in the red zone. Keep an eye on this in the coming weeks, but for now, Pollard will likely be the main runner in the red zone.

WR - CeeDee Lamb 11 Fan Points on Yahoo and 11 Points on Sleeper Fantasy

Regarding the wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb was the fantasy pacesetter for the Cowboys, but that isn’t saying much. Lamb was tied with Brandin Cooks for the second-most targets in the game with four. Lamb did have one explosive play of 49 yards, but there wasn’t enough volume in his direction to impact the fantasy scoreboard. He had one opportunity to find the end zone, but Lamb and Prescott could not connect for a score. Cooks was the second-leading receiver with only 22 yards. The Cowboys didn’t need the receivers to be a factor in the game, so they weren’t.

DEF/ST- 56 Fan Points on Yahoo Fantasy and 44 Points on Sleeper Fantasy

This type of performance on defense and special teams is practically unheard of. Everyone knows the propensity of the Cowboys’ defense to get sacks and turnovers. Yet, the way they combined both in a shutout is spectacular. Daniel Jones was sacked seven times, intercepted twice, and the defense recovered one fumble. Then, the special teams unit kicked off the massacre in the Meadowlands, blocking a field goal and returning it for a touchdown. The Cowboys’ defense and special teams carried the Cowboys, and if you have them on your fantasy team, hopefully, they brought you to a victory.