Cowboys vs Jets: Dak Prescott downs the doubters, outperforms fantasy projection

If you’re a Dallas Cowboys fan who rosters a few Cowboys players on your team in fantasy, the Cowboys’ 30-10 win over the New York Jets may have you feeling torn in different directions. While the Cowboys controlled the game and never trailed the Jets, the team left something to be desired in the redzone and, by extension, kept points off the fantasy scoreboard. Here is your Dallas Cowboys fantasy recap for week two.

QB- Dak Prescott

Several fantasy outlets advised fantasy managers to approach Dak Prescott’s matchup with the Jets cautiously, some even suggesting benching Prescott altogether. However, Prescott fared very well, nearly throwing for 300 yards. He threw for two touchdown passes and almost a third to Jake Ferguson in the red zone. Most importantly, there were no turnovers for negative fantasy points.

According to Yahoo Fantasy, Prescott scored 27 points, seven more than his projection of 20. For the game, Prescott had 38 pass attempts in a game that dominated time of possession by more than twice the amount of time of the New York Jets. If the Cowboys struggle to run the football to maintain a lead, they will turn it over to Prescott and keep attacking the opponent.

RB- Tony Pollard

You’re pleased with his production if you’re in full PPR formats and have Tony Pollard. While he put up a modest 72 yards on 25 carries, that’s a great sign. First, he got plenty of volume with 33 touches for the game, including seven receptions for 37 yards and one two-point conversion. Against a stout Jets defensive front that can also rush the passer, Prescott got rid of the ball quickly and into Pollard’s hands. The Cowboys’ new “Texas Coast” philosophy benefits Pollard directly in the passing game. If things proceed in this trend, Pollard is set for a top-10 RB finish in fantasy.

If you’re in deeper leagues and have Rico Dowdle, it was noteworthy that he got a few carries inside the five-yard line. It is not considerable enough to place him in your fantasy lineup, but it is something to watch for the next few weeks. Meanwhile, Deuce Vaughn worked into the running back rotation, seeing some early-down work between the 20s. Again, nothing to write home about but something to be aware of moving forward.

WR - Studs and Duds

Stud: CeeDee Lamb

CeeDee Lamb was superb against a Jets pass defense that made Josh Allen and the Bills offense look silly last week. Although the Jets knew Lamb was going to be the focal point of the passing game without Brandin Cooks in the lineup, there was nothing the Jets could do. Lamb was everywhere on the field and demanded a 34% target share for the Dallas offense. He was thrown the ball eleven times and caught eleven of those passes for a catch rate of 84%. He finished with 143 yards.

Lamb made tough catches over the middle of the field and lined up outside the numbers, in the slot, and close to the tight ends. If Brandin Cooks is not in the lineup, that workload will go to Lamb, without a doubt.

Duds: Michael Gallup

Since Lamb commanded such a high target share, that left nothing for any of the other wide receivers. If you’re a fantasy manager who started Michael Gallup in place of Cooks, my heart goes out to you. Gallup was targeted twice, catching only one pass for three yards. Even with Cooks healthy, Gallup having an impact as a fantasy option seemed like a longshot. With yesterday’s performance sans Cooks, things seem even more concerning for Gallup’s fantasy prospects.

Forgetting fantasy relevance for a moment, when was the last time Gallup was featured with intent during any game in the previous two seasons? There is no reason to have Gallup on your bench, let alone your fantasy starting line up.

TE - Trio of tight ends

The tight-end triplets of Luke Schoonmaker, Peyton Hendershot, and Jake Ferguson are a gift and a curse. For the passing game, it’s great that all three tight ends can be reliable options and play significant snaps in 13 personnel. Yet, that’s also the downside. It makes it hard to forecast which tight end will have the most meaningful targets in the red zone. Ferguson paced the tight end group with four targets, two in the red zone.

However, Luke Schoonmaker caught a one-yard touchdown pass against the Jets, and Peyton Hendershot would have had a touchdown on an end-around had he gone up the B-gap near the goal line. Smart money says play Ferguson if you can, but his counterparts will vulture a few of his prime red zone targets.

Dallas Defense

The Cowboys again dominated their fantasy matchup and shut down a New York offense. Thus far, their defense has allowed five points per game. Against the Jets, they sacked Wilson three times, recorded three interceptions and very nearly had a scoop and score for a touchdown on a fumble recovery had Micah Parsons not been ruled down by contact. The defense set up camp in the Jets backfield and had five tackles for loss while only giving up 215 yards of offense. According to Yahoo Fantasy, they scored 26 fantasy points yesterday and have a prime matchup against the Arizona Cardinals next week.

How did your team perform in fantasy this week?