Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb suffered an apparent injury in the club’s Week 13 matchup against the New York Giants. Here’s the latest after Thursday’s game.
What Happened to CeeDee Lamb?
Lamb entered Thursday’s game battling back and foot injuries and appeared to aggravate at least one of those issues against the Giants on Thanksgiving.
Midway through the third quarter, Lamb went down awkwardly and grabbed at his right shoulder. Lamb is dealing with a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder but hasn’t missed any game action.
Lamb checked himself out for a few plays in the third quarter, briefly returned, and then left again. He never entered the blue medical tent along Dallas’ sideline for further evaluation, but Lamb wasn’t on the field when running back Rico Dowdle scored a touchdown to give the Cowboys a 27-10 lead.
The first-team All-Pro was limited for Dallas’ practices on Monday and Tuesday but returned for a full session on Wednesday. The Cowboys have generally taken it easy on their star wideout by giving him reduced work during early-week practices.
Lamb has remained the featured weapon in Dallas’ offense with Rush under center. He caught eight passes for 93 yards in Week 11 and hauled in 10 catches for 67 yards in Week 12, finishing as fantasy’s WR14 in both weeks.
The 25-year-old had been stymied through three quarters in Week 13, catching just two passes for 39 yards.
Will Lamb Return in Week 13?
The Cowboys haven’t announced an update on Lamb’s status, likely signaling he’s not seriously injured.
However, with Dallas holding a 17-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, head coach Mike McCarthy may not be inclined to put Lamb back into Thursday’s game. Lamb was not on the field for the Cowboys’ first offensive drive of the fourth quarter.
Dallas will get 11 days of rest before its next game, a Week 14 Monday night matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Fantasy Implications of Lamb’s Injury
Lamb has battled three different injuries over the past month. While he’s played through them, it’s clear he’s less than 100%.
Without Lamb, the Cowboys are perilously thin on playmakers. Fortunately, they did get Brandin Cooks back in this one, and he caught a touchdown.
If Lamb ends up missing games, Cooks and Jalen Tolbert would be in two-receiver sets. Both would not be anything more than desperation WR4s, but they are probably at least worth rostering.
The Cowboys’ game plan will continue to lean on Dowdle, who proved very successful against the hapless Giants. He looks like a weekly RB2 going forward.
— PFN Analyst Jason Katz
