Prior to the start of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles were the favorites to win the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys were second in line at +205 while the New York Giants were way down the board at +600 odds.
Now, the Giants are leading the division at 4-2-1 while both the Cowboys and Eagles are sitting at 2-4 respectively. Who would’ve thought? New York is now the favorite to win the division at +110 odds per DraftKings Sportsbook, while Dallas (+160) is second and Philadelphia (+890) lies dormant.
While Jalen Hurts could be out for the remainder of the season with a blood clot issue, Dallas still has its starting quarterback. Dak Prescott has gone 163-of-246 (66.3%) for 1,639 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. The 87 first downs lead the league while the passer rating is a respectable 90.1, although that’s the third-lowest mark of his career. He’s only taken seven sacks.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are a formidable duo at wide receiver. Lamb leads the league with 69 targets — which he’s converted into 48 receptions, 577 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Jake Ferguson has three touchdowns on 24 targets. Pickens is second on the team with 52 targets, 33 receptions and 428 yards. However, he’s hauled in just one touchdown on the season.
Dallas leads the league in pass rate because the defense has been so bad while the ground game has been almost non-existent. The Cowboys’ 122 rushing attempts are the fewest in the league while their 456 yards on the ground are good for the second-fewest. The Cowboys are averaging only 3.7 yards per carry as a team, despite the fact that Javonte Williams has tallied seven rushing touchdowns on the season.
As for the defense, it’s the same old story for Dallas. The Cowboys’ eight sacks are tied for the second-fewest in football while the three turnovers generated are tied for the fewest. Furthermore, they’ve allowed 11 passing touchdowns and a 110.2 passer rating while only creating one interception on the season.
The rush defense hasn’t been much better, as Dallas has allowed 4.7 yards per carry, to go along with an average of149.8 rushing yards per game and seven touchdowns on the ground.
On the other side, the Eagles offense was bad enough with Jalen Hurts; now it’s gotten even worse with Tanner McKee under center. McKee is only completing 57.8% of his passes, and while he’s yet to throw an interception, he’s only averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.
Saquon Barkley has rushed 36 times for 182 yards (5.0 yards per carry), but he’s only played four games and is questionable for this contest due to a hamstring issue. With both Will Shipley and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve, Dameon Pierce is the next man up, but he’s accumulated only 14 and 35 yards over the last two weeks. The matchup is a favorable one, but one that may not be exploitable given the state of the Eagles offense.
The wide receiving corps for Philadelphia is also depleted, as DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks are out for this game. Therefore, McKee will only have Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper as options in the pass game. At least tight end Dallas Goedert is good to go.
Uncharacteristically, the Eagles defense has been bad as well. The defense has also only racked up eight sacks and three turnovers, while the pressure rate is the seventh-lowest in football. The -41.31 expected points by the pass defense are eighth-most, despite the fact that the unit has held opposing quarterbacks to a 60.4 completion percentage and an 88.2 passer rating. The rush defense has allowed 4.0 yards per carry and 119.3 yards per game, to go along with eight touchdowns.
Set your DraftKings fantasy football lineups here: NFL $1.25M Monday Night Showdown [$300K to 1st] (DAL @ PHI)
Cowboys at Eagles DraftKings Showdown Captain’s Picks
Saquon Barkley ($14,400 CP): Barkley hasn’t played since Week 4 due to a hamstring injury. He’s been logging full practices and is expected to return for this one. There is uncertainty as to his workload and stamina, but the matchup is one of the best and the Eagles will need to feed him to control the game and keep the Cowboys offense off the field.
Best UTIL Plays for Cowboys at Eagles
CeeDee Lamb ($11,000): The run game is almost non-existent for the Cowboys and Lamb leads the league in targets. I’m not expecting a massive game from Lamb, but he’s always in play to put up a high-ceiling game.
Dak Prescott ($10,400): If Dallas is going to do anything on offense, the production will more than likely come from the shoulders of Prescott. He’s put up double-digit FPTS in every contest this season, and that should continue on Monday.
Dallas Goedert ($6,400): Since returning to action two weeks ago, Goedert has played 69% and 81% of the snaps. He garnered nine and eight targets, hauling in six both weeks. Granted, he only racked up 38 and 61 yards without a red zone look or touchdown, but McKee looks for him and that should continue in this one.
Cowboys at Eagles DFS Fades
Javonte Williams ($10,600): The Eagles have allowed eight rushing touchdowns, the third-most in the NFL. Willliams has scored seven touchdowns and should get some opportunities. That said, I have doubts that he scores enough fantasy goodies to justify his high price tag.
Cowboys at Eagles Showdown Game Script
I’m going with the home dog in this divisional, primetime affair. I’m expecting the defense to put up a spirited effort and rack up a few game-changing plays, while McKee manages the game and Barkley drives the Eagles train down the track.
Final Score: Eagles 23, Cowboys 20
