Tony Pollard start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard will take a back seat to Ezekiel Elliott in the first game of the 2021 season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night. With Elliott expected to see a large workload, it’s going to be tough for Pollard to have much fantasy relevance in Week 1.

Fantasy Football analysis: Cowboys RB Tony Pollard

Pollard is in his third season in the NFL and played in all 16 games in 2020. He carried the ball 101 times for 435 yards and four touchdowns and was a factor as a pass catcher with 28 receptions for 193 yards and an additional score. Just like his first two seasons, Pollard figures significantly behind Elliott in touches, so there’s very little room for him to shine in this offense. Maybe the Dallas coaching staff will try to limit their starter early in the season as they expect to be a factor late in the year. That could increase the workload for Pollard, but we’ll believe it when we see it.

Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation

Pollard is not startable in the first week of the fantasy football season as he sits behind Elliott against one of the best rushing defenses in the NFL. He is unlikely to have consistent fantasy relevance this season unless Elliott is forced to miss a period of time for some reason.