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The Dallas Cowboys are hungry for playoff prosperity and should be viewed as a legitimate threat heading into 2023. While they certainly have their work cut out for them in a challenging NFC East, Dallas has enough weapons on both sides of the ball to turn heads this coming season.
From a fantasy football perspective, Dallas' skill players are nothing to scoff about. They have talent at every position, making them an intriguing team to monitor and perhaps even stack during upcoming fantasy drafts.
Let's take a deeper look at the biggest breakout, bust, and lock candidates on America's Team.
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Fantasy Football Breakout: CeeDee Lamb (WR)
It's crazy to think that last season's overall WR5 could ascend even higher, but he can. CeeDee Lamb has a chance to become the top wide receiver in fantasy football this season, making him a must-draft and must-buy in all formats. The 24-year-old is the alpha weapon in a fast-paced, high-powered offense that relies heavily on the passing attack.
Lamb finished 2022 with an impressive 2.62 yards per route run, a 33.4 percent dominator rating, and 252 total route wins. His +84.8 expected points added confirm his extremely central role within the offense and a relatively easy path to becoming a true elite wide receiver in the NFL.
In terms of competition for volume, rest assured that the addition of Brandin Cooks doesn't nearly cancel out the vacated production from Dalton Schultz and Ezekiel Elliott, opening the door for Lamb to shatter his previous career-high average of nine targets per game. He offers everything you could possibly want in a receiver: strong offense, heavy volume, steady quarterback play, youth, and exceptional talent. Combine all these factors and you get a potential league winner in the second round.
Fantasy Football Bust: Jake Ferguson (TE)
Expecting Ferguson to immediately slot into the Schultz role is a dangerous, sloppy assumption. For starters, Ferguson doesn't have nearly the same athletic profile and skillset, posting 40-yard dash times, speed scores, burst scores, agility scores, and catch radii that are inferior to Schultz.
The Cowboys also parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore who had an enormous influence on the tight ends' high usage (and, now that he's in Los Angeles, could maximize the production of Chargers tight end Gerald Everett). Moore's scheming and play-calling elevated the tight ends' performances, and with Brian Schottenheimer replacing him, the tight end room lacks clarity. We don't even know if Ferguson will sit atop the depth chart; recent rumors indicate the Cowboys will use a "tight end by committee" approach.
If you're looking to wait on tight ends and uncover a sleeper in the later rounds, don't bother with Ferguson. You can find far more appealing options at his current ADP of 242 — such as Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz, or Cade Otton, to name a few.
Fantasy Football Lock: Tony Pollard (RB)
For years, fantasy managers stashed Pollard on their rosters in hopes that his opportunity would eventually come and they could cash in on a fantastic investment. Now, here we are. Dallas has cut Elliott and is unlikely to-resign him this summer. Meanwhile, the Cowboys paid very little attention to the running back position in free agency and the draft, merely spending a late pick on Deuce Vaughn.
Keep in mind that Pollard was essentially splitting touches with Elliott last season and still produced 1,007 rushing yards, 371 receiving yards, and 12 touchdowns. His 15.6 fantasy points were a career-high and ranked eighth among NFL running backs. Now that Dallas' elusive, versatile weapon has the backfield to himself, his rushing yardage and touchdowns could increase.
Pollard has also shown an ability to stay healthy, missing just three games over the last three seasons. With a strong skill set, great offense, backfield all to himself, and minimal injury history, Pollard is primed to have his best season yet. Consider him a locked-and-loaded mid-range RB1 heading into the 2023 campaign.
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