Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch (shoulder) is expected to miss his 2nd straight game Thursday against the Titans. He did some work on the side during Tuesday's practice but likely need more time before he's game ready. Rookie Damone Clark started in LVE's place against the Eagles but played just 69% of the defensive snaps and logged 4 total tackles. Veteran LB Anthony Barr has played 2 of his 4 largest snap snares all season the past 2 weeks. He has topped out at 7 total tackles, though, and has exceeded 4 solos just once (Week 15). We wouldn't bother with any Cowboys LB other than Micah Parsons for IDP lineups in most cases.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott threw for 347 yards and 3 TDs in Saturday's win over the Eagles. He found WR CeeDee Lamb twice for scores, from 36 and 7 yards out. His other TD went to WR Michael Gallup from 12 yards out in the 3rd quarter. Week 17 holds a pass-funnel matchup with the Titans, who sit 4th-toughest on RB scoring but 6th most friendly to QB fantasy numbers.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb racked up 10 catches for 120 yards and 2 TDs in Saturday's win over the Eagles. It was his 2nd straight game with 120+ yards. All 4 of his 100-yard games this season have come among the past 7 contests. He'll get a pass-favoring matchup with the Titans in Week 17. WR Michael Gallup snagged Dallas' other passing TD against Philly, totaling a 4-36-1 receiving line on 7 targets. TE Dalton Schultz added 3-43 on 4 targets.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott tallied a mediocre 61 total yards on 17 touches in Saturday's win over the Eagles: 16-55 rushing, 1-6 receiving on 1 target. He scored the team's lone rushing TD, marking his 8th straight game with at least 1 score. Elliott has also carried 15+ times in every appearance since Week 7. He gets 1 of the league's worst RB-scoring matchups in the Titans in Week 17, however. That will challenge his usability in fantasy football lineups. RB Tony Pollard managed just 19 yards on 9 carries against the Eagles, adding 6 catches for 61 yards on 8 targets. Each of those receiving numbers ranked 2nd on the team. That aspect will make Pollard better suited for the Tennessee matchup.
Cowboys LB Micah Parsons (illness), CB Trevon Diggs (illness) and EDGE Dorance Armstrong (knee) are all active for today's game against the Eagles, despite entering the day questionable. Use any as planned in your IDP lineups.
Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (hip) is active for today's game against the Giants. Use him as planned in your IDP lineups.
Texans WRs Brandin Cooks (calf) and Chris Moore (elbow) are active for today’s game vs. the Titans. They figure to operate as Houston’s top 2 WRs in this plus matchup. See where Cooks and Moore sit in the Week 16 WR Rankings.
Texans WR Brandin Cooks (calf) is expected to play vs. the Titans today, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Cooks is listed as questionable but put in full practices on Wednesday and Thursday. We're not expecting the calf to be an issue today, but Cooks' iffy standing with the team and Houston's general ineptitude leave him as a shaky fantasy play.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott has scored at least 1 TD in 7 straight appearances, a stretch dating back to his Week 6 meeting with the Eagles. Elliott hasn't simply gotten lucky, though. Since his Week 11 return from a knee injury, only Austin Ekeler has seen more total red-zone opportunities. Elliott has also logged 15+ carries in 6 straight games and 10 of 12 games for the season. He carried just 13 times in the 1st Eagles matchup but averaged 6.2 yards per rush. Philly arrives to the rematch still just 20th in Football Outsiders' run-defense DVOA.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs (illness) and LB Micah Parsons (illness) are questionable for Saturday's game against the Eagles. EDGE Dorance Armstrong (knee) is also questionable. LB Leighton Vander Esch (neck) is officially out, leaving rookie Damone Clark to start in his place.
Vikings LB Eric Kendricks (hip) is questionable for Saturday's game against the Giants. He finished the week with a full Thursday workout after limited practices the previous 2 days. So we'd bet on Kendricks playing but will confirm his status Saturday morning. CB Cameron Dantzler (ankle) is also questionable.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy on Monday ruled LB Leighton Vander Esch out for Saturday's game against the Eagles. He also revealed that it's a shoulder injury for LVE rather than a neck issue, as originally reported. That's good news given Vander Esch's history of neck trouble. His absence this week should turn rookie LB Damone Clark into a full-timer. The 5th-round pick looks like an upside waiver-wire addition in deeper IDP leagues.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott went 23-of-30 passing for 256 yards and 3 TDs in Sunday's OT loss to the Jaguars. He also tossed 2 INTs, including a pick-6 to S Rayshawn Jenkins in OT to end the game. It was Prescott's 2nd straight game with multiple INTs and 4th such game among the past 6. Next comes a difficult matchup with the Eagles.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb caught all 7 of his targets for 126 scoreless yards in Sunday's OT loss to the Jaguars. WR Noah Brown ranked 2nd among Cowboys pass-catchers, hauling in 6 of a team-high 9 targets for 49 yards and 2 TDs. TE Peyton Hendershot claimed the team's other receiving TD. TE Dalton Schultz tallied just 2 receptions for 15 yards among 4 targets. Dallas gets a tough passing matchup with the Eagles in Week 16. Then comes 1 of the league's most favorable passing matchups in the Titans.
Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott claimed the team's lone rushing TD to open the scoring in Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. He totaled 58 yards on 16 carries (3.6 per rush), adding 13 yards on 2 receptions. RB Tony Pollard led the team in carries (19) and rushing yards (75, 3.9 per carry) and caught 4 of 5 targets for 31 more yards. The Cowboys get a rematch in Week 16 with the Eagles, a defense that has been far more favorable to RB production than to opponent passing games.
RB Royce Freeman led the Texans with 11 carries and 51 yards in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, the 1st game since RB Dameon Pierce landed on IR with a high-ankle sprain. RB Dare Ogunbowale got the position's only other carries, taking 8 rushes for 14 yards. RB Rex Burkhead led the backfield in targets (4), receptions (2) and receiving yards (17). Freeman added a 5-yard catch on his only target. This is a backfield to avoid the rest of the way.
Cowboys LB Leighton Vander Esch hurt his neck in Sunday's OT loss to the Jaguars. That's a particularly worrisome injury for LVE, who has a history of neck issues dating back to college. We'll see about his outlook for Week 16 and beyond.
Texans WRs Brandin Cooks (calf) and Nico Collins (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. If they miss this weekend's game vs. the Chiefs, WR Chris Moore will be in play as a low-end option in PPR leagues.
Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs hurt his right thumb in Sunday's win over the Texans. He left briefly but returned and played 91% of defensive snaps for the game. Diggs told reporters afterward that he doesn't expect to miss further game time with the injury.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott wound up with a decent 284 passing yards in Sunday's narrow victory over the Texans but threw just 1 TD pass vs. 2 INTs. He now just just 6 TDs vs. 5 INTs over his past 3 outings. Week 15 holds a weak Jacksonville pass defense. We'll see whether Prescott can rebound ahead of a tough Week 16 home date with the Eagles.
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