In the span of one week, everything has changed for the Cowboys. During Sunday’s 27-21 loss to the Falcons, both quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) suffered mid-game injuries. On Tuesday, team owner Jerry Jones said that Prescott would be placed on the injured reserve, sidelining the star QB for the rest of the month at minimum.
There remains a decent chance Lamb can return to action this week against the Eagles, but it’s far from a guarantee. Tuesday’s trade deadline deal for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo, as reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, suggests that Dallas might be preparing for life without their All-Pro wideout.
With so much uncertainty in Big D, figuring out which pass catchers are fantasy-relevant is nothing short of a headache. Should Lamb sit, the majority of targets this week would likely go to the combination of Mingo and Jalen Tolbert. Mingo, midway through his second season in the NFL, has yet to impress as a pro. The former Panthers second-round pick has averaged just 22.5 yards over 24 career games. Still, the ineptitude of Carolina’s passing attack during that time would hamper any receiver’s production.
Tolbert, a three-year veteran, is currently enjoying a breakout campaign. The wideout has already tallied a career-best 358 receiving yards and three touchdowns over eight games. While many of his targets have come after Brandin Cooks was placed on injured reserve, there’s no question that the former third-round pick has developed some chemistry with Prescott. Other than Lamb and tight end Jake Ferguson, there’s no other pass catcher on the active roster that’s as familiar with the team’s offensive scheme.
Another wrinkle to this week’s game is backup quarterback Cooper Rush. In relief of Prescott last week, he threw for 115 yards and a touchdown, going 13 for 25 on pass attempts. While those numbers aren’t eye-popping, the seventh-year passer is capable of getting the ball to Dallas’ playmakers, whomever they might be. Still, it’s a clear downgrade from the normal Pro Bowl-caliber play behind center Cowboys fans are used to.
Even though Mingo has talent, starting him this week (if Lamb is out) feels like a trap. The Ole Miss product hasn’t proven much at the NFL level, and it’s unlikely the Cowboys will trust him with a full workload right out of the gate. Tolbert might not be ready to match Lamb’s production, but he’s clearly the most capable of Dallas’ ‘other’ receivers. He connected with Rush on a touchdown grab in the fourth quarter against Atlanta, so there’s reason to believe the pair will carry that momentum into Week 10.
Philadelphia enters Sunday’s contest as 7.5-point favorites, so expect plenty of passing from the ‘Boys to keep up. That should lead to a big time performance from Tolbert.
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