Will Jake Ferguson Play in Week 2? Should I Start Luke Schoonmaker?

Dallas Cowboys starting tight end Jake Ferguson was pegged as a top-10 fantasy TE heading into the 2024 season. One tackle and one injury has now knocked him down a few pegs on the fantasy tight end totem pole, though.

Ferguson suffered a sprained knee during Dallas’ Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Luckily, an MRI showed that his ACL was intact and he was subsequently labeled “week-to-week” due to the injury. His status for this week’s game has been in doubt ever since.

So will Ferguson be able to find the field today when his Cowboys face off against the New Orleans Saints? If he cannot go, would backup Luke Schoonmaker be a solid fantasy play? Here is the latest:

Will Jake Ferguson Play In Week 2?

No, Ferguson will not suit up on Sunday. It was a long shot that he was going to play after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain, and he did not practice at all during the week leading up to the contest. But there was still some optimism he could play because he was quoted saying he was not feeling any pain. It took until 90 minutes before gametime for Dallas to finally rule him out.

The good news is that Ferguson’s knee injury is a week-to-week situation and not a season ender. There is a chance he could be back as early as Week 3 and at worst should just miss a couple games. For fantasy managers, it is better that he misses games now than later in the season when there are league titles and playoff berths on the line.

Fantasy managers should not drop Ferguson and should just find a backup plan on their league waiver wire if they did not draft a second tight end. He is too good of a fantasy TE to put back out on the block to create a roster spot on your squad.

Should I Start Luke Schoonmaker in Week 2?

While Dak Prescott has always had a knack for finding his tight ends, Schoonmaker should be avoided as a fantasy play this week. It is hard to fathom that he will post better numbers this week than some of the other options available on waiver wires, especially since there are plenty of tight ends to choose from since it is so early in the season.  

Schoonmaker has not shown the pass-catching ability Ferguson has when used in limited duty, though he did turn two of the eight catches he made during his rookie campaign into touchdowns last year. The Michigan product does have some upside in dynasty leagues since he was selected in the second round, but for this week it is probably best to stay way.

There are better tight ends available on the waiver wire if you are in a pinch this weekend. New Orleans’ Taysom Hill and Juwon Johnson, New York’s Tyler Conklin, and Los Angeles’ Colby Parkinson are a few candidates for a one-week stopgap if you need one because of Ferguson’s injury.

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