These NFC East rivals met in Week 4, as the Cowboys notched the 20-15 win in New York. Much has changed, though, as Dak Prescott has been replaced by Cooper Rush for Dallas. Meanwhile in New York, Daniel Jones was shuttled for Tommy DeVito, who is now unlikely to play with an injury, so Drew Lock will likely get the start. Whew.
Both run games were nonexistent in their first matchup, with Rico Dowdle carrying 11 times for 46 yards while Devin Singletary rushed 14 times for 24 yards. Since then, Singletary has been replaced by Tyrone Tracy Jr., but Tracy has had some fumbling problems, so there is a smidge of uncertainty.
Dallas and New York have allowed the highest and second-highest EPA per carry on the season, but they also have the 24th and 27th-ranked offensive lines according to PFF.
Both pass defenses have been exploitable, as Dallas has allowed 0.05 EPA per dropback, which is the eighth-most generous in the league. New York is right below at 0.03. New York leads the league in sack rate at 9.9% with a paltry 6.5 yards per attempt. Dallas is allowing 8.4 yards per attempt but has a pressure rate of 37.7%, good for sixth-best in the league.
Can Drew Lock swing the risk/reward ratio into his favor? His last start was on December 18, 2023.
Cooper Rush has started the last three games and is coming off a performance in which he went 24-of-32 for 247 yards and two touchdowns for a win over Washington.
DraftKings Sportsbook has Dallas -3.5 at home with the total at 37.5.
As for Wednesday’s injury report, QB Tommy DeVito did not practice while TE Theo Johnson was a limited participant for the Giants. The Wednesday report hasn’t been released for Dallas yet, but as of Tuesday, WR CeeDee Lamb, QB Cooper Rush, and WR Brandin Cooks were limited participants while TE Jake Ferguson did not practice. Stay informed on the most recent updates at DK LIVE.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $500K Second Helping Showdown [$100K to 1st] (NYG @ DAL)
Captain’s Picks
Cooper Rush ($13,500 CP): As mentioned in the opening, while both rush defenses have been soft this season, it may be difficult for either team to take advantage. Plus, I think the ownership for both running backs will be very high. Rush has started the last three games and played well in the last two, going for 17.98 and 20.36 FPTS. CeeDee Lamb has been getting peppered with targets, but the average yards per target have been low while the Giants defense has been good at limiting downfield passing.
UTIL Plays
Luke Schoonmaker ($4,400): Jake Ferguson suffered a concussion and will likely miss this game. Schoonmaker should elevate to the top of the tight end depth chart with Brevyn Spann-Ford next in line. Over the last two games, Schoonmaker has garnered 14 targets to seven for Spann-Ford.
Malik Nabers ($10,600): Despite suspect quarterback play all season, Nabers has produced double-digit FPTS in all but one game, with double-digit targets in all but three contests. In those three, Nabers had nine, eight, and seven targets. Drew Lock will likely get the start, which provides uncertainty, but he should pepper his most talented playmaker often.
CeeDee Lamb ($10,800): I’m not crazy about Lamb due to the price and fact that his average yards per target has plummeted since earlier in the season. That said, we cannot dismiss the massive volume. Lamb has garnered double-digit targets in each of the last six games, with 12 in each of his last two. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in four games, or in any contest with Rush at quarterback, but it’s likely only a matter of time.
Fades
Rico Dowdle ($9,600): I feel gross fading Dowdle since he’s going to get a ton of volume, but we can’t roster everyone. The story I’m telling is that the running games from both teams struggle, with the game tilting towards the air, at least in terms of productivity. I’m not expecting a lot of points in this one and the ownership will likely be massive for Dowdle, so…. what could go wrong?
THE OUTCOME
The total is low for a reason, and Drew Lock hasn’t started a game in over a year for a reason. The offense for Dallas has been competent with Rush getting a little more comfortable, while I think the Dallas defense squeezes Lock into submission.
Final Score: Cowboys 26, Giants 10
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $500K Second Helping Showdown [$100K to 1st] (NYG @ DAL)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is sontzu) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
