DALLAS — Fantasy football owners are processing how to evaluate the Dallas Cowboys' perimeter players with the departures of wideouts Amari Cooper, Cedrick Wilson, and Malik Turner along with receiver Michael Gallup's ACL rehabilitation that could nix him for the first month of the season.
Quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott figure to be safe bets at their positions, but Prescott's targets are still up for debate.
According to Jamey Eisenberg from CBS Sports, because of the situation in the passing game, third-year receiver CeeDee Lamb appears ready to have a big year for fantasy owners.
"There's a lot to love about Lamb this season as he enters his third year in the NFL," writes Eisenberg. "With Amari Cooper and Ced Wilson gone, there are 165 vacated targets in Dallas. Newcomers James Washington and Jalen Tolbert should help fill the void, but we don't know when Michael Gallup will return from his torn ACL. Last year, when Gallup (calf) was out or injured for the first eight games of the season, Lamb averaged 8.3 targets per game and had five games with at least 17 PPR points. He should dominate targets from Dak Prescott this season, and Lamb is poised for a breakout year."
Lamb led the Cowboys with 120 targets. Furthermore, the Pro Bowler led the team with 79 receptions. Although there is talk of running back Tony Pollard being more instrumental in the receiving game until Gallup is a full go, Lamb may be subject to even more targets.
You shouldn’t expect Washington and Tolbert to be ready to help Prescott and take on much of a load in the offense right out of the gate; such connections will be forged throughout the season. If that is the case, Lamb would have to be saturated with targets from Prescott.
Prescott told reporters at his eponymous ProCamp on July 9 at The Star in Frisco that he had confidence that Lamb could seize the No. 1 receiver role.
“It’s very exciting just because of the guy that CeeDee is, the guy that wants to get better each and every way that he can, whether it be just the knowledge of the game or a release or something," said Prescott. "He holds himself to a very high standard, and he holds our connection that way as well. So, I have high expectations for him. I have high expectations for ourself and I know he’s going to be a huge part of it.”
Fantasy owners drafting Lamb will also have high expectations for the former 2020 first-round pick. If Lamb is able to have big games early, it should produce a decent return on investment as the season goes along.
Are you eyeing CeeDee Lamb for your fantasy team this season? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.