Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 4 In Week 3, the AFC East let us down with a non-competitive drubbing. This week, things have more potential with the Dallas Cowboys traveling to New Jersey to face the Giants. Hopefully, the second […]
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 4
In Week 3, the AFC East let us down with a non-competitive drubbing. This week, things have more potential with the Dallas Cowboys traveling to New Jersey to face the Giants. Hopefully, the second week in a row in this venue has more scoring. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 4 looks at all the fantasy-relevant players to forecast the game.
It’s always entertaining to watch these two NFC East rivals square off. The Cowboys are reeling after dropping two straight home games. Conversely, they had won their previous 17 at AT&T Stadium. Therefore, they’re probably welcoming a change of scenery. And a game against a foe they’ve defeated in 11 of their last 12 matchups.
Conversely, the Giants are coming off of an upset win in Cleveland. New York’s offense has been more competent after their opener. With some momentum, they’re trying to get to 500 while simultaneously delivering a knockout punch to their hated rivals.
This game opened with Dallas favored by four. However, the line quickly jumped up to Dallas -6. The total stands at 45, up a meager half-point from its opening total.
Matchup
TEAM
OFFENSE
PASS
RUSH
YDS/PLAY
POINTS
Dallas Cowboys
9
1
30
16
6
New York Giants
22
21
19
25
29
The Dallas offensive ranks look good on paper. However, a big chunk of that production came in futile comeback attempts in their past two losses. The lack of balance and inability to run the ball has hurt the Cowboys.
Additionally, the Dallas defense has crumbled.
The Cowboys currently rank 28th in overall defense and have allowed the third-most points. Dallas ranks dead last against the run and has allowed 28-plus points in every game.
New York is surrendering 318 yards of offense per game, which is middle of the pack. However, only three teams have scored fewer points. Look for the Giants to try to slow things down and exploit that struggling defense.
On defense, the Giants rank 13th against the pass. They’re worst against the run (23rd) but don’t expect Dallas to be able to exploit that.
The real question here is can the Cowboys stop the bleeding to cool off Mike McCarthy’s hot seat?
Dallas Offense
Dak Prescott leads the league with 851 passing yards. However, touchdowns have been hard to come by. Prescott has only thrown…
How will Thursday’s Cowboys vs. Giants game go?
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2024 Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Preview The Dallas Cowboys had a great 2023 regular season despite a new-look offense. After surpassing the Philadelphia Eagles and finishing atop the NFC East with a 12-5 record, the Cowboys secured the No. 2 seed […]
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Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 13 Last Thursday was full of food, family, and football. This week, we get back to normal with just one game. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 12 breaks down the fantasy and […]
Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 13
Last Thursday was full of food, family, and football. This week, we get back to normal with just one game. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Night Football Preview: Week 12 breaks down the fantasy and sports betting prospects for Seattle’s trip to Dallas.
The ‘traveling on short rest’ narrative doesn’t apply here since both the Seahawks and Cowboys hosted Thanksgiving games one week ago. Afforded their full week of rest, both squads were able to fully prepare for this pivotal matchup up NFC playoff contenders.
However, the Seahawks do have to contend with key injuries on offense, which gives them a huge disadvantage in taking on Dallas’ No. 2 ranked defense. Additionally, the Cowboys have been dominant at home. Dallas has won their last 13 games in Arlington and has been blowing teams away this season.
Dallas opened as 5.5-point favorites but that line quickly shot up to -9. Additionally, the total rose a point and a half to 47.
Matchup
TEAM
OFFENSE
PASS
RUSH
YDS/PLAY
POINTS
Seattle Seahawks
22
17
26
13
18
Dallas Cowboys
7
4
13
5
1
Geno Smith has regressed from the stellar numbers he posted out of nowhere last season. That’s caused the Seahawks to struggle to maintain drives and outscore opponents. Also, Seattle’s offensive line has been one of the poorest units in the league, leading to struggles rushing the ball and converting third downs (29th).
The Seahawks have also dropped three of their last four games and will once again be without star RB Kenneth Walker. That doesn’t bode well for their chances of pulling out a much-needed win against an opponent that has averaged 40 points per game at home this season.
Meanwhile, Dallas leads the NFL in scoring and has allowed the fourth-fewest points. The Cowboys rank second against the pass and look like a poor matchup for a Seattle squad starting a rookie backup running back. A fearsome pass rush combined with a play-making secondary will also cause major problems for Smith and the passing attack.
So, do the Seahawks stand a chance or are we in for another Thursday Night snoozefest?
Seattle Offense
QB Geno Smith has struggled in three of his last four games- all of which Seattle has lost. Additionally, Smith has been dealing with an elbow injury. Facing a defense that has allowed the sixth-fewest fantasy points to the position doesn’t feel like a get-right spot…
How will Thursday’s Seahawks vs. Cowboys game go?
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Thursday Football Preview: Week 12 Happy Thanksgiving! Week 12 is always a special holiday slate. And 2023 is no different. We’ve got a full day’s worth of NFL and fantasy football action with three games. Additionally, the first Black Friday […]
Thursday Football Preview: Week 12
Happy Thanksgiving! Week 12 is always a special holiday slate. And 2023 is no different. We’ve got a full day’s worth of NFL and fantasy football action with three games. Additionally, the first Black Friday game is one day away. The FullTime Fantasy Thursday Football Preview: Week 12 previews all three Thanksgiving games from a fantasy, DFS, and sports betting perspective.
Green Bay at Detroit
TEAM
OFFENSE
PASS
RUSH
YDS/PLAY
POINTS
Green Bay Packers
22
19
21
13
20
Detroit Lions
4
4
5
4
6
Open: DET -7.5, 44.5
Current: DET -8, 47
As always, the Detroit Lions kick off the holiday festivities. However, these aren’t the hapless Lions of years past. Dan Campbell’s squad has the second-best record in football and boasts a balanced, top-5 offense.
QB Jared Goff plays his best football at home and will be amped to rebound off of a subpar Week 11 showing. Meanwhile, Detroit has a pair of elite fantasy running backs primed to feast off of Green Bay’s 28th-ranked run defense.
The matchup isn’t as great for the pass catchers. However, Goff does have 10 TD strikes in six career games against the Packers. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown has scored a touchdown or exceeded 100 receiving yards in all nine games this season. However, Green Bay allows the fourth-fewest fantasy points to wideouts, so it may take double-digit targets for that streak to continue.
For the Packers, Jordan Love is coming off of his two best games. Facing a Lions’ secondary that has yielded the ninth-most fantasy points to the position puts Love in a favorable spot to deliver another week of high-end QB2 numbers.
However, things look lousy for the ground game. Aaron Jones won’t play, leaving the backfield to A.J. Dillon. Dillon has dominated the backfield snaps and touches when Jones has been sidelined. But he’s been ineffective in that role, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and just one total reception in the three games Jones has missed.
Detroit is also allowing the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson topped double-digit fantasy points against this secondary back in Week 4. Also, Jayden Reed has developed into a solid WR3/4 option who went 3/55/0 in that game.
TE Luke Musgrave is injured and will be replaced by a committee led by Tucker Kraft. The rookie is a cheap DFS option, only.
Green Bay is 2-5 straight up and against the number since opening the season 2-1. They’ve struggled on the road, losing four straight after winning in Chicago to open the 2023 campaign. And it’s been particularly tough against Detroit, who has covered the spread in 11 of the last 13 matchups with Green Bay.
Detroit has won four of their last five against Green Bay. Also, the Lions have covered in five straight Ford Field matchups hosting the Packers. Detroit beat Green Bay by 14 back in Week 4, but I’m not sure it will be that easy in the rematch. The UNDER has hit in five of Green Bay’s last…
How will Thursday’s games go?
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2023 Dallas Cowboys Outlook The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championship dynasty, redraft, or high-stakes squad, FullTime Fantasy members will have an in-depth, player-by-player preview […]
2023 Dallas Cowboys Outlook
The 2023 NFL season is right around the corner and that means fantasy football drafts are underway. Before you assemble your championshipdynasty, redraft, or high-stakessquad, FullTime Fantasy memberswill have an in-depth, player-by-player preview of all 32 teams from football legend Shawn Childs.
Up next in our extensive NFL and fantasy football preview series is Shawn’s deep dive into the 2023 Dallas Cowboys Outlook.
— Quarterback —
Dak Prescott
In 2019 and 2021, Prescott attempted 596 passes in both seasons over 16 games. He improved by 22 completions in 2021 but regressed by 453 passing yards. Prescott finished with the best completion rate (68.8) of his career with a new high in passing touchdowns (37). He ended the year with a step back in running value (48/146/1) after being much more productive in this area over his first 64 games (241/1,221/21). When at his best, Prescott had a floor of three touchdowns in nine starts (416/3, 244/3, 223/4, 308/3, 455/3, 301/3, 351/4, 246/3, and 295/5). He delivered 1,864 passing yards and eight touchdowns in his other seven matchups.
After an off game in Week 1 (134/0 with one interception) last season, Prescott missed five starts with a broken right thumb. His year ended with the most interceptions (15) of his career over 12 matchups, with further regression in his yards per pass attempt (7.3). Prescott only had a slight fall off in his completion rate (66.2 – 68.6 over his previous 21 contests) while repeating his value in the run game (45/182/1). Over his final 13 games (including the postseason), he had a completion rate of 70% or higher in eight matchups, but Prescott only passed for more than 300 yards in two starts (347/3 and 305/4). He averaged 33.1 passes over his 14 games, compared to 37.3 in 2021.
Fantasy Outlook: Other than an excellent growth season by CeeDee Lamb (107/1,359/9), the Cowboys’ receiving corps failed to match preseason expectations. Michael Gallup (39/424/4) was a shell of his previous self, and rookie Jalen Tolbert (2/12) didn’t develop into a viable receiving option. Adding Brandin Cooks gives Prescott a proven veteran wideout, but he also lost his top tight end threat (Dalton Schultz). My early thought is that Dallas should average close to 250 passing yards per game, with Prescott finishing with a floor of 30 combined touchdowns (on pace for 34 in 2021). He is the 12th ranked quarterback in early June in the high-stake market.
Cooper Rush
Over his first four seasons with Dallas, Rush was only on the field for eight games, leading to him completing 31 of his 50 passes for 424 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He kept the Cowboys in the playoff hunt by winning four of his five starts when Dak Prescott was out with his thumb injury.
Despite his winning success, Rush was only a game manager over his first four contests (775/4 with no interceptions). When facing the Eagles, he was overmatched in Week 6 (18-for-38 for 181 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions).
Fantasy Outlook: Rush remains the top backup quarterback for Dallas, but he will see minimal time again in 2023.
Other Options: Will Grier
— Running Backs —
The combination of Ezekiel Elliott (968 combined yards) and Tony Pollard (1,378 combined yards) gave Dallas plenty of production in overall yards (2,346) while adding 24 combined touchdowns. Their backs set three-year highs in rushing attempts (477), rushing yards (2,110), and touchdowns (26), but they were less active in the passing game (62/526/3 on 85 targets). The Cowboys running backs averaged 28.33 FPPG in PPR formats.
Tony Pollard
Dallas gave Pollard 169 touches in 2021, but he did leave some stats on the table by missing two games with a December left foot injury (plantar fascia). Over his final three games (including the postseason), he struggled to run the ball (15/57) with seven catches for 77 yards. Pollard broke loose in Week 2 (140 combined yards with one score and three catches) while gaining over 100 combined yards in one other matchup (14/75 and four catches for 28 yards). From the Cowboys’ second game to Week 15 (12 contests), he averaged 12.2 touches, leading to 905 yards with two touchdowns and 30 catches or 11.04 fantasy points in PPR formats.
Pollard was frustrating to manage over the first five games last season due to his up-and-down usage by the Cowboys. He had empty production in Week 1 (22 combined yards and two catches) and Week 4 (eight combined yards and one catch) while flashing his explosiveness over his other three contests (289 combined yards with two touchdowns and four catches on 34 touches). When given a chance to start in two games midseason, Pollard played at a high level (14/131/3 and 22/115/1) with four combined catches and 29 yards. Dallas gave him an uptick in chances over the next six weeks (83/367/3 with 24 catches for 237 yards and three scores), but ankle and leg injuries led to a missed game and a step back in play over his final three contests (28/118 with five catches for 23 yards).
Fantasy Outlook: The excitement for Pollard is brewing in the early fantasy draft season based on his ranking (10th). He finished last season as the ninth-highest-scoring running back (248.80) in PPR formats despite averaging 14.5 touches. Dallas will rotate in a second running back, but Pollard should see his opportunity improve by at least 15%. I’ll set his early bar at 225 rushes for 1,100 yards with a dozen scores and 50 catches for 450 more yards. His only negative is back-to-back late-season injuries, with the latter requiring surgery to repair a broken left leg last January.
Deuce Vaughn
Over three seasons at Kansas State, Vaughn gained 4,371 combined yards with 47 touchdowns and 116 catches over 37 games. He had a high-volume opportunity in 2021 (284 touches) and 2022 (335 touches), showcasing his durability…
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OUT OF THE COWBOYS IN 2023?
To finish reading Shawn’s in-depth 2023 team outlook, with in-depth offseason reports, projections, and fantasy outlooks for all players
