The 2024 NFL season is off to a hectic start with plenty of surprising results. With no time to slow down, Week 4 is set to kick off in an NFC East matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
While these teams had much different outlooks entering the year, they both enter this game with 1-2 records. The Dallas Cowboys are still looking to establish themselves as threats in the NFC East while the Giants will look to play spoiler and ride the momentum of last week’s victory over the Browns.
There are plenty of breakdowns for the game’s outlook, player props, and more but this article will take a look at some of the top DFS options to help you build your best showdown team.
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Captains Plays:
Hitting on your captain (CPT) is essential to having showdown DFS success on DraftKings. Players drafted as the captain earn 1.5x fantasy points, so they can make or break your slate. Let’s take a look at my favorite captain plays for this week’s TNF slate.
CeeDee Lamb: $17,700
The most expensive player in the matchup is three-time All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. After an offseason filled with contract drama, Lamb is back to doing what he does best but has yet to produce a true breakout performance.
Through the opening three weeks of the season, Lamb has tallied 13 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. He has yet to break 90 yards in an individual game but has a great opportunity to change that against a banged-up Giants secondary. New York is allowing the 11th-most yards through the air so far this season and ranked second worst in this category last year. This was already an area of concern and with cornerbacks Dru Phillips and Adoree Jackson each set to miss, the matchup could get even worse. New York was able to mask this issue with their pass rush last week but will have a more difficult time against the Cowboys.
If Lamb can break free for a long touchdown, he will almost surely end up the game’s leading scorer. He is guaranteed to have a healthy target share sent his direction and is one of the most talented wide receivers in the sport. The New York defense provides plenty of opportunity for this to be the case so this could be a week worth spending the premium.
Malik Nabers: $16,200
There were high expectations for Malik Nabers when he was selected with the 4th overall pick and he has managed to exceed all of them through the opening three weeks. The LSU product is leading the NFL in targets this year with 37 and has tallied 23 receptions for 271 yards and three touchdowns. He has looked like a man amongst boys and managed to produce in a variety of ways.
While they are not exactly a shut-down group either, there is a lot greater reason for optimism for the Cowboys’ secondary. There also are the inherent concerns with Daniel Jones being the player responsible for delivering him the football. Nabers is sure to be at the top of the Cowboys’ scouting report and will be looking to limit all chances of putting the ball in his hands. His talent level is undeniable and Nabers is capable of making something out of nothing. But the level of defensive attention set to go his way has me concerned there may be a bit of a reduction in statistical impact in Week 4.
Dak Prescott: $15,600
The Cowboys have found their identity as a pass-first team with Dak Prescott leading the way. The three-time Pro Bowl QB is leading the NFL in pass attempts and passing yards through the opening three weeks. Most recently, he threw for 279 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Ravens in a game where Prescott had 51 pass attempts.
He does not have as high of a floor as some of the dual-threat quarterbacks that are dominating the fantasy and DFS space, but Prescott is sure to get his opportunities. The injuries and concerns to the Giants’ secondary also work greatly in his favor. CeeDee Lamb will make the headlines, but Prescott has completed a pass to 12 different Cowboys players this year and the team has three players with over 100 yards receiving.
Given the porous New York defense and cheaper price compared to Lamb, Prescott is my favorite captain’s choice for the week. Based on DraftKings DFS scoring Prescott is averaging 19.7 points per game and should be in line for an even greater scoring output than this.
Value Picks:
Rico Dowdle ($6,400)
The Cowboys have had an uncertain outlook at the running back position entering the season, but Rico Dowdle looks to be establishing himself as the more important DFS player. Ezekiel Elliott has seen his opportunity shrink throughout the three weeks with the 29-year-old logging just 19% of the offensive snaps in Week 3.
Dowdle is the better pass-catching back and is still a capable running back on the ground. He has tallied 147 yards from scrimmage in the opening three games and could be in line for even further expanded opportunity this week. He has logged 12+ touches and 56+ yards scrimmage the past two games and will be looking to build off that against the Giants. While a bit more expensive than a true value play, Dowdle has a chance for a huge breakout against the NFC East rivals. Look for him to set a season-high in touches and provide positive DFS production.
Cowboys D&ST ($5,000)
After struggling greatly against the Minnesota Vikings in the opening game of the season, the Giants have done a nice job righting the ship. They suffered a respectable 21-18 loss to the Commanders in Week 2 and then defeated the Browns 21-15 last week.
Through the three weeks as a whole, the Giants rank 29th in the league in scoring at just 15.0 points per game. There also are the looming turnover issues from Daniel Jones that can show face at any point. In his 63 career NFL games, Jones has thrown 42 interceptions and fumbled the ball 47 times. The Duke product is at his worst when he is asked to do too much and this may be the way the game plays out.
If the Cowboys can take an early lead and force the Giants to play from behind, they will be in the driver’s seat for forcing turnovers. Even if this does not play itself out, New York may not be dangerous enough to inflict some real damage. It is not the most exciting play, but without a ton of appeal at the skill positions deeper down the list of values, this may be a week in which choosing a defense makes sense.
Brandon Aubrey ($5,000)
While kickers are more valuable than they are given credit in DFS formats, this is especially the case with Brandon Aubrey. The Cowboys kicker has tallied 49 fantasy points on DraftKings DFS scoring which ranks first among kickers and 40th (!) among all players in fantasy football. To put this in perspective he sits above Patrick Mahomes, Davante Adams, and Anthony Richardson as the next three names on the list.
Aubrey has made at least two field goals in all three games and tallied four field goals in each of the last two. He has grown into a weapon on this Cowboys team that has expanded their range for where they can score from. Aubrey has a perfect 100% accuracy so far this season on both field goals and extra points. The 29-year-old has also already made five field goals from 50+ yards this year including an NFL-best 65-yarder.
Give Aubrey a solid chance of outperforming several position players and put you on the inside track to a successful week. Especially with the Cowboys having a chance to put up significant points, expect the former All-Pro to deliver in whatever opportunities come his way.
Wan’Dale Robinson ($4,800)
There has been plenty of talk about Malik Nabers, but not enough hype regarding the strides forward Wan’Dale Robinson has taken. The third-year pass catcher has tallied 15 receptions on his 23 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown. He trails only Nabers in each of these categories.
Robinson also serves as the big play threat within the Giants offense. Look for him to be the beneficiary of the additional coverage directed at Nabers and to have a chance to break free during the matchup. He has had at least four targets thrown his way in each game and an impressive 12 pass attempts directed toward him in the opening week.
Given how much a big play or long touchdown can change the entire outlook of a DFS matchup, Robinson is the type of player you are going to want to have in your lineups. Expect the Giants to take a few deep chances with Robinson and if he can deliver on one opportunity he will outperform his price point.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is seanbarnard) 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.
