Dallas Cowboys: Best fantasy football draft targets

Fantasy football fans are growing anxious as the Ezekiel Elliott ruling seemingly has no timetable. Here are the best Dallas Cowboys to draft for your team.

As Week One of the NFL regular seasons begins, fantasy football fanatics around the globe are preparing. The Dallas Cowboys find themselves right in the middle of fantasy football discussions as the potential suspension of star running back, Ezekiel Elliott has really thrown a wrench into fans draft plans. Zeke is not the only Cowboy to be a highly ranked fantasy football target.

Cowboys star wide receiver Dez Bryant is primed for a productive season with or without Elliott on the field. The wide receiver is in the best shape of his life and has no lingering injuries heading into Week One.

Cowboys second-year quarterback, Dak Prescott has also been working with Dez on his chemistry with the team’s best wide receiver. Bryant has struggled a bit (from a fantasy football perspective) over the last two seasons so his ADP (average draft position) is a bit lower than normal.

Typically Bryant is a late first round pick however he has since moved towards the back of the second round. The timing issues that plagued him when Dak first took over the starting job are likely to be gone, and Dez could become the most potent weapon in the Cowboys offense.

When it comes to drafting Elliott for your fantasy team, that is a trickier question to handle. Top running backs are hard to find especially players you know who will guarantee you over 1,000 yards and most importantly, consistency.

Zeke checks off all of those boxes so his current suspension situation does not really impact his ADP all that much. If he was heading into Week One without an issue most could argue that he is the best running back in the NFL.

A player like that is not going to fall to the fourth round even if it means he may miss games earlier, in the middle, or late into the season.  Drafting Zeke this year typically means supplementing his production with another back that is available later.

He does not have an obvious handcuff so drafting either Darren McFadden or Alfred Morris is somewhat of a risky proposition as we do not know who will be the main back come Week One. A player who seemingly fits the mold for a Zeke replacement is none other than New Orleans Saints running back, Mark Ingram.

He will be available during the mid rounds of most fantasy drafts and has a lot of upside as the Saints typically are a fairly productive team when running the football. The big thing when drafting Zeke is that you have to find a running back or group of running backs that can carry the load.

When it comes to taking McFadden or Morris, experts seem to be split on the issue. If Zeke is not on the field, we could be looking at a committee of running backs not just one. We also have to remember, Rod Smith looked explosive as well during preseason so he could be an option for the Boys if Zeke is out.

As far as tight ends go, Jason Witten is one of the best. In fantasy football, he may be one of the lower ranked tight ends. But Witten is a reliable source of fantasy points, there may not be a lot at times but he will become Prescott’s security blanket this year.

Among the wide receivers, the options get a bit less interesting. You have to assume the Cole Beasley will see some of his targets reduced to make room for fourth round pick, Ryan Switzer. He is a Beasley clone and should handle most of the kick returns so in a PPR league they could have higher value.

The team’s typical number two wide receiver, Terrance Williams will only be a sensible pick in deeper leagues. He has a ton going for him on the actual football field as he a very versatile player, but in most fantasy leagues it will be tough to justify drafting him.

The sleeper this season on the Cowboys has to be wide receiver, Brice Butler. He has turned a lot of heads during the preseason and should continue to be an effective player come Week One. He was the primary offensive deep threat during preseason so it will be interesting to see if that translates.