UPDATE: On Saturday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Prescott will most likely undergo season-ending surgery. The decision isn’t final yet, but it looks like Dak will miss the rest of the season. Find out what that means for CeeDee Lamb and the rest of the offense below.
Dak Prescott has tried to avoid surgery, which is why he’s got one final look from a specialist Monday. But surgery is considered the most likely scenario. https://t.co/QLv7oEUnxJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 9, 2024
The Cowboys’ season has unraveled in a hurry. After losing to the Falcons in Week 9, they’re 3-5 on the season. They also lost Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury. With Prescott now expected to miss multiple weeks, is CeeDee Lamb ($8,600) still a top fantasy football WR? Let’s look at the latest from Dallas from a fantasy football perspective:
When will Dak be back?
The Cowboys got disappointing news on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:
#Cowboys QB Dak Prescott’s hamstring injury was worse than initially feared. He is expected to miss multiple weeks, sources tell me and @TomPelissero.
In fact, this is not looking like a short-term injury. Cooper Rush is the team’s backup. pic.twitter.com/de1R3WSOxy
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 4, 2024
As Rapsheet notes, Cooper Rush ($5,100) is the team’s backup and is expected to step in for as long as Prescott is sidelined. He completed 13-of-25 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons after coming on.
Rush managed to hit Jalen Tolbert ($5,100) for a four-yard touchdown and then hit Lamb for the two-point conversion within the final two minutes of the game, but the team couldn’t recover an onside kick to extend the game.
Trey Lance ($4,000) will likely be the backup for Rush after serving as the team’s emergency QB and has been inactive all season.
With their bye week behind them, the Cowboys play the Eagles, Texans, Commanders, and Giants over the next four weeks. If Dak is placed on IR, he would first be eligible to return after Thanksgiving in a Monday Night Football matchup against the Bengals in Week 14.
The Impact on CeeDee Lamb
Perhaps most importantly, Lamb is dealing with an injury of his own after Sunday’s game.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb has a sprained AC joint, per source. Though Lamb’s shoulder is sore, the injury is not considered serious and he is expected to have a chance to play Sunday vs. the Eagles. pic.twitter.com/swTBrjxD0k
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 4, 2024
He’s week-to-week, but if he doesn’t miss time, he should still be startable while working with Cooper Rush.
In Week 2 through Week 6 of the 2022 season, Lamb played five games with Rush at QB. He had at least five catches in each of those five games while averaging 6.2 catches for 76.0 yards per game. He also caught two touchdowns from Rush.
Without Prescott, Lamb definitely takes a hit, but he remains a solid WR2 who should command plenty of targets if he’s able to play against the Eagles this week.
Jalen Tolbert and Jake Ferguson’s upside
Two players who could actually emerge over the next few weeks as strong plays are Jalen Tolbert ($5,100) and Jake Ferguson ($5,000).
Tolbert has been the Cowboys’ second receiver and would be the No. 1 option if Lamb is forced to miss time as well. Tolbert did catch Rush’s touchdown in Week 9 and has at least three catches in seven straight games dating back to Week 2.
Ferguson has also been busy lately with 6+ catches in four of the last five weeks and a pair of games with at least 70 receiving yards. He’s still in search of his first touchdown of the season, but he could get a boost in volume from Rush taking over from Dak and potentially more conservative playcalling.
While everyone is bailing on the Cowboys due to Dak’s injury, it could open up a good chance to zig when everyone is zagging. Tolbert is an interesting add in the 75% of season-long leagues where he’s available, especially if he ends up as the team’s top WR for a short time.
Ferguson isn’t available on many waivers, but he could be a good under-the-radar DFS target with or without Lamb in the mix this week.
Cowboys Roundup
Losing Dak is a big blow to the offense and lowers Lamb’s ceiling. If Lamb plays through his injury, he’ll likely be solid but not spectacular. If Lamb is sidelined along with Dak, there could be excellent value available with Tolbert and Ferguson.
Rush at QB could actually help Ferguson with or without Lamb and also create more chances for Rico Dowdle ($6,100) to establish himself as the team’s primary running back.
Lamb’s injury reports will be key to watch this week as you prepare for Sunday’s DFS contests, headlined by the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
The Cowboys host the Eagles in what will be Rush’s first start, but they begin the week begin the week as 6.5-point home underdogs.
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