Dak Prescott’s previous ankle injury and his current shoulder concerns have people questioning his status for the start of the season. Cowboys content always pings the ears and eyes of NFL viewers, so networks have milked Prescott’s shoulder strain since it happened in late July. It wasn’t a setback, and it wasn’t a reason to worry. So, what does this mean for Prescott’s fantasy impact and outlook for the Cowboys’ Thursday Night Football game?
Is Dak Prescott playing against the Buccaneers?
Yes, Prescott is playing against the reigning Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The freshly paid quarterback has been fully healthy now for a few weeks, and as the ramp-up for Tampa Bay began, so did Prescott’s full workload.
In Week 5 against the New York Giants, Prescott broke and dislocated his ankle on a scramble down the left side. He wanted so badly for it to be okay that he beat his ankle off the turf to try and set it. Then, in the first week of camp, the six-year vet suffered a latissimus strain in his throwing shoulder.
That created a mess of overreactions about whether we’d get a healthy Prescott to begin the 2021 NFL season. It turns out the Cowboys were just being cautious about his status the whole time. On the first day of camp, Prescott had worked too much, according to the team’s fitness wearables. It was important for them to save him from himself.
No Zack Martin especially hurtful against Tampa Bay
Losing Martin to a positive COVID-19 test is a massive loss for the Cowboys. They can’t afford to have another season like 2020, where their offensive line was in shambles from a health perspective.
Losing Martin means the young trio of Connor Williams, Tyler Biadasz, and Connor McGovern (not the Jet) must deal with Ndamukong Suh and Vita Vea. That’s…less than ideal for Prescott.
Vea is one of three defensive mutants in the NFL with Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. No human his size should be as explosive as Vea. He has unstoppable-force-beating-immoveable-object-level strength.
Prescott handles pressure well, even though it’s difficult to maneuver about the pocket if the interior is collapsing at your feet. La’el Collins was a full participant in practice Monday, but his health has been cause for concern since he arrived at camp last season. If he can’t stay healthy for the game, surviving it will be Prescott’s only concern, even as he looks to come out stronger than he did in 2020.
Dak Prescott’s fantasy outlook for Week 1
Fantasy analysis provided by PFN’s Tommy Garrett.
It’s difficult to overstate how important Prescott is to the Dallas Cowboys and his impact on fantasy. Before going down with a gruesome ankle injury in Week 5, Prescott was playing at an MVP level while surrounded by arguably the best receiver corps in the NFL. While on an aerial onslaught, Prescott averaged 34.3 completions on 50.3 attempts (68%) for a staggering 422.5 yards passing and 2.3 TDs per game.
His 31.3 fantasy points per game had him on a trajectory to break every record in both the NFL and fantasy football. While you should not expect this same production, Prescott is a phenomenal weekly player.
The Cowboys have a solid OL, and the offense is chalked full of talent at the skill positions. While the Buccaneers are a formidable matchup, they were exploitable in the passing game, rankings 16th in points allowed per game to QBs (18.3) and 23th in points to WRs (39.1).
This will be an improved unit with the further development of Antoine Winfield Jr., Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Carton Davis, but nothing the talent of the Cowboy’s WRs can’t handle. So long as the offensive line keeps Prescott upright, he has top-5 fantasy upside every week.