Week 4 of the NFL season has arrived! Thursday Night Football is always hit-or-miss from a fantasy perspective, you can either make or break your week in the first game of the slate.
Let’s highlight my start/sit fantasy football picks for Giants vs. Cowboys on TNF.
TNF Must-Starts
- CeeDee Lamb
- Malik Nabers
Start ‘Em: Dak Prescott
Prescott is on the fringe of must-start territory, but his abysmal first two weeks have left some managers wary of trusting him.
While there’s always concern about guys coming off a short week, theres’ a lot to like about his fantasy prospects on Thursday. After an underwhelming first half against the Ravens, Dak woke up and led a furious comeback attempt. While the Cowboys ultimately fell short, Prescott finished with 29.8 fantasy points and three total touchdowns, reminding us why he was the fantasy QB3 in 2023.
The Giants’ secondary isn’t porous, but they are susceptible to big plays, which is always a risk when CeeDee Lamb is lining up against you. I expect Prescott to keep the momentum rolling en route to a potential TNF blowout.
Sit ‘Em: Rico Dowdle & Ezekiel Elliott
While Dallas’ passing attack bounced back in Week 3, their running game remained subpar.
You’re almost certainly not considering starting Elliott this week after his snap share fell off against the Ravens, but I would also stay away from the Cowboys’ more explosive back in Dowdle. Both members of Dallas’ backfield are averaging fewer than four yards per carry, and the fact that they split carries significantly limits their fantasy upside on the ground.
Dowdle does have somewhat of a decent PPR floor due to his receiving work, but the production hasn’t been high enough to consider starting him. Leave both Rico and Zeke on your bench until we see a little more clarity in this backfield.
Check out my full Week 4 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Devin Singletary
In a stunning turn of events, the Cowboys have the league’s worst run defense through three weeks. It’s not really a close call, either.
Dallas has allowed a ridiculous 36.5 fantasy points per game to opposing backs, opening the door for Singletary to keep his momentum rolling after two strong weeks. New York’s RB1 has racked up at least 14 PPR points in back-to-back matchups, finding the end zone twice while showcasing receiving upside. There was a lot of concern about Singletary’s ceiling running behind the Giants’ offensive line heading into the season, but the veteran back is averaging an impressive 4.7 yards per carry.
Game script could work against Singletary in this contest, but the floor is high enough to warrant starting him against this horrendous Cowboys run defense.
Sit ‘Em: Brandin Cooks
After a strong Week 1 performance, Cooks’ role in the Cowboys’ offense has fallen off.
The 31-year-old appeared to be the No. 2 receiving option for Prescott entering the season, but through three weeks he’s seen fewer targets than Jalen Tolbert and Jake Ferguson (who has only played in two contests). Cooks has scored just 3.6 PPR points in two straight games.
The Giants’ secondary is relatively vulnerable, so Cooks does have FLEX potential, but you’d be banking on a touchdown. I would leave the veteran on your bench until he proves his fantasy value consistently.
Start ‘Em: Jake Ferguson
I think it’s pretty clear how I expect this matchup to play out for the Cowboys.
Big games for Dak and his top two receiving options, and underwhelming performances from the rest of his supporting cast. Like Prescott, Ferguson is virtually in must-start territory after a strong Week 3 performance, especially considering how shallow the fantasy tight end landscape is.
The 25-year-old racked up six receptions on 11 targets for 95 yards against the Ravens. He should continue to see a ton of targets in what projects to be a high-octane passing attack by the Cowboys on Thursday.
Fantasy Advice Twitter Takeover
On Sunday from 11-1 ET, Jeff Pratt will be taking over the DraftKings Network X account to answer all of your start/sit questions. Don’t miss out!
Those are my start ’em, sit ’em fantasy football picks for Thursday Night Football! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice later this week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
