Dallas Cowboys to Play in Fantasy Football vs. the Vikings
Josh Frey
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We talked about this a little bit in the Vikings fantasy forecast for tomorrow night’s Halloween game, but the Dallas Cowboys offense has been one of the most consistent groups in the NFL. The unit leads the league per game in points, yards, plays, first downs, and yards per play. The Minnesota Vikings have a solid defense, but they will likely have their hands full without either Michael Pierce or Patrick Peterson.
However, with the uncertain status of Dak Prescott, they may have caught a break. We aren’t expected to know whether or not Prescott will play until at least Sunday afternoon, so Minnesota may have caught a break. Because of that, we are leaving the QB position out of this discussion. Obviously, if Prescott plays, he’s worth the start. With that in mind, a look at the Dallas Cowboys fantasy football forecast this weekend.
RB Ezekiel Elliott- Start
There have been many improvements to the Vikings defense this year in terms of coverage and pass rush, but one thing remains as bad as ever. The run defense has been abysmal this season, allowing 4.8 yards per carry to their opponents. They’ve given up 100+ yards on the ground in each game this season, and given Elliott’s hot start to the season, this trend will likely continue in week 8.
The only thing going against Elliott this week is the potential that this could turn into a shootout between the two QBs. If that were to happen, Elliott’s touches would inevitably decrease. That said, the Cowboys have run 32 times per game to this point in the season. They should find a way to get Elliott the ball.
TE Dalton Schultz- Start
The Minnesota Vikings have not been burned by many tight ends this season, but they also haven’t gone up against any true top players at the position. Dalton Schultz has been a surprise breakout player at a very thin position, and especially this week, he’s a must-start with how many top options (Darren Waller, Mark Andrews, George Kittle) are out.
Schultz has 5+ catches in five of six games this season, with the only lackluster game being week 2 at the LA Chargers. It’s not only the production that stands out, though. It’s the efficiency. Schultz has 37 targets so far this season, just over six per game. He has caught 31 of them, making his catch rate a ridiculous 83.8%. He’s been massive part of Dallas’ success to this point in the season, and they should continue to go his way.
WR CeeDee Lamb- Sit
CeeDee Lamb went into the bye with arguably his best game of his career, recording 149 yards and two touchdowns vs. the Patriots in New England. His past two weeks have been very good to fantasy managers, but there have been some lows as well.
The Vikings are without Patrick Peterson this week, but this is a secondary with a chip on its shoulder. Bashaud Breeland has bounced back after being the butt of a joke for ranking last in PFF’s CB grades. After being a healthy scratch in week one, Cameron Dantzler has fought his way back up the depth chart and should see a lot of playing time this weekend. Then Harrison Smith, Xavier Woods, and Eric Kendricks are great anchors for this defense. This group is looking to prove something against a very good Cowboys team, and their ability to shut down Lamb will prove to be the difference in the game.
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