Roundtable: The Cowboys Without Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys are turning to QB Cooper Rush for several weeks. What can we expect from the Cowboys' skill talent? 

Welcome to Week 10 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.

This week's roundtable features these four topics:

• The Cowboys Without Prescott (see below)
• Midseason Grab Bag
• Would You Rather, Dynasty Edition
• Dump, Bench, and Start

Let's roll. 

The Cowboys without Dak Prescott 

Matt Waldman: Dak Prescott is expected out for multiple weeks, so the Cowboys likely turn to Cooper Rush. What can we expect from these three players?

• WR4 CeeDee Lamb
• TE14 Jake Ferguson
• RB31 Rico Dowdle

Do any remain fantasy values? Is there a chance one increases their value? List the role/value each has on a fantasy squad. 

Andy Hicks: Rico Dowdle may increase in value because of the circumstances around him. Ezekiel Elliott got suspended and is barely averaging three yards a carry. Dalvin Cook is a shell of his former self as well. Dowdle hasn’t had a huge workload but looks capable of making an impact and can also work as a receiver. I would be comfortable assigning him as an RB2, ahead of his current ranking. 

Jake Ferguson is just a guy, but he is the clear starter. His highly drafted teammate, Luke Schoonmaker, has been invisible since his Week Two six-catch performance. Will Cooper Rush see him in the red zone? If the Cowboys can move the ball. Ferguson hasn’t scored a touchdown in almost a calendar year. His value remains steady. Bottom end TE1/TE2

CeeDee Lamb is the one who should take a hit in value. Apart from gritting it out with an AC issue, Lamb doesn’t have a reliable target opposite him to help out. Defenses can easily double or triple-team him into a top WR2, well below the value expected with his draft slot. Cooper Rush isn’t the passer that Dak Prescott is so don’t expect too many big plays.

Jason Wood: It's unlikely any Cowboys players will return the value we anticipated on draft day with Dak Prescott potentially out for an extended period. Cowboys fans might point to Cooper Rush’s long tenure with the team and his 5-1 record as a starter, but there’s no question that Prescott is a far superior passer. Rush’s yards per attempt (6.5) and completion rate (60%) fall well short of Prescott’s career marks of 7.6 yards per attempt and 67% completion rate. 

While I suspect the Cowboys’ offense as a whole may become fantasy-irrelevant, there is one player who could see an increase in value: Rico Dowdle. The hope here is that Dowdle maintains his current role as the team’s primary ball carrier and sees a significant increase in receptions, as Rush could rely on him as a safety valve.

At best, Lamb may be a low-end WR2, but more realistically, he’ll be a reliable WR3 or Flex option. Ferguson will likely become a touchdown-dependent tight end, joining a large group of similar players who fluctuate between TE10 and TE20 weekly. 

Dowdle has the widest range of outcomes. If the offense struggles to sustain drives, he may be unstartable. However, if he sees a notable increase in targets, he could become a viable RB2 in PPR formats.