The question of Ezekiel Elliott playing in Week 10 has been hovering for fantasy football managers over the past two weeks. Zeke missed the Dallas Cowboys‘ last game before the bye week, but there was hope he could be back for this matchup. Let’s examine the latest injury update for Elliott and what it means for both his and Tony Pollard’s fantasy value this week.
Update: Ezekiel Elliott is inactive for the Cowboys in Week 10.
Is Ezekiel Elliott Playing Today?
There has been a lot of back and forth regarding Elliott’s status over the past couple of games. It still looks like Elliott’s status for Week 10 is up in the air, even if there is some optimism he could be active. On Saturday, ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that the Cowboys do not expect to make a decision on Zeke until they evaluate him in the pregame.
Werder also added that we should “expect a conservative decision,” with Elliott having mentioned “long-term considerations” when discussing his availability over the last couple of weeks. On Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport echoed that uncertainty. In his report, he stated that “The team will be cautious” and that “if there is any uncertainty at all, Elliott won’t play.”
MORE: Week 10 Start/Sit Advice
As it stands on Sunday morning, the assumption for fantasy managers should be that Elliott will be out or, at best, very limited. If the second of those is true, then it would be a surprise for Elliott even to risk aggravating the injury with Pollard fully healthy and able to handle a reasonable workload. The Cowboys also added Qadree Ollison from the practice squad, suggesting they are not expecting Elliott to be active.
With this game being a late-afternoon kickoff, a lot of fantasy managers will need to make their decisions before we know the full extent of Elliott’s status. Therefore, taking the approach that Elliott will be out and that Pollard will be the number one is the smart move right now.
If we get an indication Elliott could play, then he might be an intriguing late-round Best Ball option on Underdog Fantasy, simply because he could see some high-leverage goal-line work.
Fantasy Implications for Elliott and Tony Pollard
Starting with Elliott, the situation is pretty simple. Even if he is active, it is tough to know whether he would even see enough work to offer significant value. Therefore, if you have a decision over who to start in Week 10 that needs to be made before the 1 p.m. ET games start, then the most sensible choice is to lean away from Elliott at this stage.
That then switches the focus to Pollard and whether he is a player you should look to start regardless of Elliott’s availability. The matchup against the Green Bay Packers is one that certainly offers an opportunity for Pollard either way. The Packers have allowed 20.43 fantasy points per game to opposing RBs in half-PPR scoring so far this season.
However, the defense has been somewhat stouter in the past two weeks. After allowing four-straight games of over 20 fantasy points, they have allowed an average of 17.9 over the past two weeks. That still offers plenty of potential for Pollard if he is the lead back, but it would have been things tough to call if both Pollard and Elliott were active.
MORE: Week 10 PPR Rankings
However, the situation is that Pollard should be the lead back, as he was in Week 8. In that game, he saw 14 rushing attempts and a single target. The Cowboys did mix Malik Davis in, as he played 33% of the snaps with eight rushing attempts and two targets. Therefore, we cannot treat Pollard as a bell cow who is likely to see 20-plus opportunities.
However, Pollard should still see around 55-65% of the opportunities for this running game, giving him a good shot of scoring double-digit fantasy points. If Elliott is inactive, then Pollard would be the only active back to have seen goal-line opportunities, with three carries inside the 5-yard line.
That further emphasizes why he remains a player to consider starting this week. If Elliott does suit up, then his two-to-one dominance of goal-line carries dents the ceiling for Pollard a little.
With the lean being towards Elliott either not playing or playing in a very limited fashion, Pollard is the RB20 in Tommy Garrett’s Week 10 RB fantasy rankings. However, given where Pollard was drafted, there is a very real chance that fantasy managers may have options that rank higher this week.
That said, there should be an opportunity to get him in fantasy lineups this week, even if it is a Flex option.