Dallas Cowboys
Start ‘em
After DeAngelo Williams ran all over Washington en route to putting up the most points in fantasy football for running backs in Week 1, fantasy owners are eager to fire up Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday. Though murmurs have emerged about Alfred Morris getting more snaps, this backfield remains Elliott’s to lose. In a plus matchup against a porous Washington run defense, he could very well live up to his hype.
In the passing game, Jason Witten has breathed life into the Cowboys offense, capably moving the chains and being a reliable option for Dak Prescott. His volume puts him in the TE1 category for Week 2.
Start ‘em?
Dez Bryant is still Dez Bryant, even though he reeled in just one of Prescott’s 45 pass attempts in Week 1. For all the talk about whether Josh Norman will cover an opponent’s No. 1 receiver, Bashaud Breeland has also previously given Bryant trouble, which fantasy owners have to be aware of. It remains a poor matchup for Bryant, but his upside keeps him in the WR3/flex conversation. It could be a game that could feature another heavy dose of Witten and Cole Beasley, with the latter deserving consideration in PPR leagues.
Sit ‘em
While Prescott still has tons of potential, he’s not yet in the conversation of being a top-10 or top-12 starter in fantasy.
Washington
Start ‘em
Jordan Reed led Washington with 11 targets in Week 1 and would have had an early touchdown if it wasn’t for an outstanding play by Ryan Shazier to bat the ball away in the end zone. There’s no question about Reed’s TE1 status for Week 2 or any other week as long as he’s healthy. DeSean Jackson also made his presence known, catching six passes for 102 yards and looking quite fast despite entering his ninth season. He remains firmly on the WR2/WR3 radar.
Start ‘em?
Kirk Cousins disappointed in Week 1, failing to reach double digits in standard fantasy formats. There’s also concern that he won’t produce due to the Cowboys’ ability to chew the clock. This is a valid concern, but it may be a tad overblown. Washington controlled the ball for just 26:42 of Week 1’s contest, and Cousins still logged 329 yards on 43 attempts. He remains a bit of a risk in Week 2, but remains an option in 12-team leagues.
Sit ‘em
Until their lethargic running game shows signs of life, Matt Jones should be left on benches in standard formats. Chris Thompson led the backfield in snaps for Week 1 and had a touchdown run, but the game script won’t likely favor him as much for Week 2.