RADIO
Tyler Goodson the Top RB Handcuff in Dallas
Although Dallas Cowboys running back Tyler Goodson has barely seen the field this year, he is the clear RB2 in Dallas as the handcuff for fantasy managers who have starter Javonte Williams rostered. Goodson, an undrafted free agent from Iowa, has appeared in four games for the Cowboys so far this year and has 11 rushing attempts for 34 yards while catching two of five targets for four yards. In his first three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, the 25-year-old had 54 carries for 264 yards and one touchdown on the ground while adding 19 catches on 27 targets for 103 yards and one touchdown through the air in 33 games played (one start). Goodson began the year on the Atlanta Falcons' roster buried behind Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson, so he has a much clearer path to fantasy relevance in Dallas. Barring an injury to Williams, though, Goodson will not even come close to carrying standalone fantasy value. And in the event of Williams missing time with an injury, Goodson would likely share backfield work with Emari Demercado.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Javonte Williams Stays Afloat With Short TD Plunge
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams churned out 41 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries in Sunday night's 23-13 defeat to the Green Bay Packers. He caught both of his targets for an additional nine yards. The sixth-year pro cashed in his seventh rushing score of the campaign early in the third quarter, but he was mostly ineffective as Dallas failed to score 20 points in the second straight game. It was the fifth time this season Williams did not average four yards per carry, something that happened only six times in 2025. In fact, he's currently averaging over a full yard fewer (3.73) per tote than a healthy 4.77 a year ago. A silver lining for the former Denver Bronco is that he's scoring at a much more rapid pace than last season and is the team's clear workhorse. Dallas will try to get back on track in Week 7 against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that has not been as formidable in 2026.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tyler Goodson a Potential Waiver-Wire Addition as Handcuff
Cowboys running back Tyler Goodson is a handcuff option and a potential deep-league waiver wire addition as Dallas prepares to face the Green Bay Packers in Week 6. Goodson didn't receive a carry or a target during the Cowboys' loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week, but remains the backup to starter Javonte Williams, RotoBaller's eighth-ranked running back. The Packers have allowed 127.6 yards per game this season, ninth-worst in the NFL. With that said, the Green Bay defense limited the Chicago Bears to just 81 yards on the ground during a Week 5 win last Sunday.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Javonte Williams Primed For Big Performance at Packers in Week 6
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams has the pleasure of facing the extreme run-funnel Green Bay Packers defense in Week 6. They've allowed the sixth-fewest yards per pass attempt this season but are the third-worst team in the NFL at slowing down opposing running backs in fantasy football. Williams now has the benefit of having his elite run-blocking offensive guard, Tyler Smith, back in the lineup and healthy after he missed the first four games of the season with a thumb injury. Smith is a Pro Bowler and a Second-Team All Pro thanks to his exploits as a run blocker, where he moves defenders out of the way effectively and bulldozes paths for Williams to run through. It seems that his dip in rushing efficiency was due to Smith's absence, and we should see the former Broncos RB return to 2024 form in short time. Start him in all leagues as an RB1 with high-end touchdown upside and enough volume for a very safe floor.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Javonte Williams Continues to Face Minimal Competition for Touches
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams continues to post impressive results in fantasy football, mostly because of his prominent role as the undisputed No. 1 option on the depth chart. Even when he struggled to get things going in terms of efficiency last week, Williams maintained a season-high 85% snap share, and a touchdown helped him to score more than 14 points in PPR leagues. He now ranks as the overall RB7 in PPR scoring, putting him well on his way to finish as a top-12 running back for the second year in a row. Williams, who has seven touchdowns through five games, is already up to 91 touches this season, while depth options Tyler Goodson, Emari Demercado, and Hunter Luepke have combined for 19 touches so far. As long as Williams is healthy, his high snap share and volume will keep him in the low-end RB1 conversation for fantasy football.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Cowboys Re-Sign Running Back Emari Demercado
The Dallas Cowboys re-signed running back Emari Demercado on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Running back depth has been a problem this year for the Cowboys behind starter Javonte Williams, but Demercado will return to Dallas alongside Tyler Goodson for now as the team heads into a Week 6 battle on Sunday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The 27-year-old Demercado was a healthy scratch for the Cowboys for two games earlier this season before he was waived last week. The former undrafted free agent from TCU is only worth adding off the waiver wire as a handcuff for Williams in the deepest of fantasy leagues. Demercado has just five carries this year with Dallas for 15 yards and has not been targeted at all in the passing game. He is averaging a healthy 6.4 yards per carry in his three-plus seasons in the NFL (three years with the Arizona Cardinals), but Demercado has just 131 rushing attempts and 50 receptions on 70 targets since he debuted in 2023.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Emari Demercado Waived by Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys waived running back Emari Demercado on Thursday to make room for offensive lineman Tyler Smith, who was activated from injured reserve. Demercado had already fallen out of the backfield picture after receiving five carries for 15 yards in the first two games. He was inactive the past two weeks, with Tyler Goodson taking over the backup work behind Javonte Williams. Goodson has nine carries for 34 yards in those games, so the change had essentially happened before Thursday's roster move. Dallas claimed Demercado off waivers from Kansas City at the beginning of September, but his stay lasted just over a month. He had a bigger role during his three seasons with Arizona, totaling 819 rushing yards and 50 receptions for another 324 yards. Demercado is off the fantasy radar for now and will need to find another opportunity elsewhere.
Source: Joseph Hoyt
Source: Joseph Hoyt
Cowboys Activate Tyler Smith from Injured Reserve for Thursday Night
The Dallas Cowboys have activated guard Tyler Smith (thumb) from injured reserve, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Smith is coming off a full practice session and will make his season debut on Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The All-Pro lineman landed on IR shortly before the regular season began, as he required surgery on his thumb. He missed no more than the minimum four games, and now he's back in action and will offer key protection in front of Dak Prescott and Javonte Williams. The former first-round pick will look to build off an impressive 2025 campaign that saw him post a career-high 81.0 PFF run-blocking grade.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Javonte Williams Has Spike-Week Potential Again In Week 5
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams averages just 3.7 yards per carry this season, but he's on one of the NFL's better offenses and has handled a dominant share of his team's backfield touches. This has given him excellent spike week potential, and he now averages 24.6 PPR fantasy points across his best three contests of the season. He'll have plenty of opportunities against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, and should capitalize as such. He handles the goal-line work for the Cowboys, who have found themselves in the red zone often this season. As a result, he has five rushing touchdowns already. He's also caught 15 passes for 77 yards and another score, and ranks as the RB7 in fantasy football leagues as a result. His efficiency has taken a substantial hit from last season, likely due to the absence of elite run-blocking right guard Tyler Smith (thumb). The All-Pro guard returned to practice this week, though, and upgraded to full participation on Wednesday, though he's officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game. His return would give Williams even more upside, but whether or not Smith plays, Williams should be firmly entrenched as an RB1 in all fantasy football leagues with week-winning upside against a struggling 0-4 team.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Tyler Goodson A Deep-League Waiver Option As Handcuff
Dallas Cowboys running back Tyler Goodson hasn't been very involved in his team's offense this season, even though he's the clear RB2 behind starter Javonte Williams. Cowboys RB Malik Davis (hip) was set for that role, but was placed on season-ending injured reserve, clearing the path for Goodson to be second on the depth chart. Williams rushed for three touchdowns and caught five passes in Week 4 in a narrow win over the Houston Texans. Goodson saw just three rushes and one target in the contest. Williams is the workhorse back for the team, but if he were to get injured, Goodson would be in line for a big role that would vault him into starting conversation. The Cowboys run game has been inefficient this season, but the return of their best run-blocking offensive lineman, Tyler Smith (thumb), is imminent. He was cleared to return to practice on Monday after offseason thumb surgery, and will give a big boost to the Cowboys endeavors on the ground. Were Williams to get hurt, Goodson would be set up in a productive offense with a good offensive line and a quarterback that's happy to feed significant targets to players in the backfield, making the former Indianapolis Colt a solid waiver wire addition in deeper leagues or as a pure handcuff add in standard leagues ahead of Week 5.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Javonte Williams Tallies Three Touchdowns in Week 4 Win
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams had a big day in his team's 34-30 Week 4 win over the Houston Texans. While Williams rushed for an inefficient 62 yards on 19 carries, he logged three rushing touchdowns. The 26-year-old also chipped in as a receiver, hauling in all five of his targets for 21 yards. Through four weeks this season, Williams has now recorded 231 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries, along with 15 catches for 77 yards and a score on 17 targets. Williams hasn't been quite as productive on a per-touch basis as he was in 2025, as he's averaged just 3.7 yards per carry. However, he remains the clear workhorse back in Dallas, and the Cowboys clearly trust him in goal-to-go situations. As long as he remains healthy, Williams profiles as a must-start running back for fantasy managers.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Javonte Williams Back In RB1 Territory For Difficult Week 4 Matchup
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams got back on track in Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens by rushing 19 times for 98 yards and a touchdown and catching two of his three targets for five yards, finishing his day with 18.3 PPR fantasy points. The Cowboys clear RB1 was inefficient in his first two contests, mustering under three yards per carry across those two contests. With elite Cowboys run-blocking guard Tyler Smith (thumb) still out with an injury, Williams played well in Week 3 despite problems along the offensive line. Dallas will travel to Houston for their Week 4 game, though, and the Texans are one of the toughest defenses in the NFL. Williams' receiving role helps, though he doesn't get an impressive amount of volume through the air by any means. This makes him a boom-or-bust low-end RB1 -- he has the volume to avoid the low end of single-digit scoring outings, but not the pass-catching role to propel him to overall RB1 finishes in any given week. Still, Williams should be locked into starting lineups in all fantasy leagues for the Cowboys' next game.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Javonte Williams' Floor Elevated by His Hard-Running Style
Following a quiet start to the season in which he averaged less than three yards per carry across the first two games, Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams showed promising signs of a bounceback in Sunday's last-minute loss to the Ravens in Brazil. Adding two short catches to his 98 rushing yards, he topped the century mark for the first time on the year, scoring a rushing touchdown on his way to an RB9 fantasy finish. Most reassuring, though, was the fight he showed through contact, an element that returned to his game in a breakout 2025 season. 62 of Williams' 98 rushing yards on Sunday came after contact, and with the Cowboys offensive line failing to create space in the running game through the first three weeks of the year, his physicality is the key to him remaining in the RB1 conversation. Williams is RotoBaller's RB19 ahead of a difficult Week 4 matchup with the Texans.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tyler Goodson a Deep-League RB Handcuff in Dallas
Dallas Cowboys running back Tyler Goodson made his 2026 debut on Sunday in the Week 3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Emari Demercado being a healthy scratch. Goodson only played 11 offensive snaps (15%) behind starter Javonte Williams, and he had six carries for 22 yards while catching his only target in the passing game for a loss of five yards. The 25-year-old former undrafted free agent from Iowa spent his first three seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts, carrying the ball only 54 times for 264 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and one touchdown in 33 games (one start). Goodson added 19 receptions on 27 targets for 103 yards and another score as a receiver. The Cowboys have one of the thinnest RB rooms behind their starter, so Goodson is worth a look off the waiver wire this week as a deep-league handcuff for fantasy managers who have Williams rostered. His experience as a return man on special teams should also help his case to be active on game days over Demercado going forward.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Emari Demercado Inactive Against Ravens
Dallas Cowboys running back Emari Demercado was listed as a healthy inactive for his team's Week 3 rumble against the Baltimore Ravens, the team reported on Sunday via the X platform. The 27-year-old back has five carries for 15 yards with no touchdowns so far in 2026. His absence puts the focus squarely on Javonte Williams to lead Dallas' ground game.
Source: Dallas Cowboys Publlic Relations
Source: Dallas Cowboys Publlic Relations
