The last thing CeeDee Lamb’s fantasy managers wanted to see on Thursday was an unexpected limited practice. Lamb sprained his ankle during Wednesday’s practice and did not practice Thursday as a result of the injury. Should fantasy football managers prepare to be without the stud sophomore wide receiver this week?
CeeDee Lamb’s ankle injury
First, let’s go over what we know about Lamb’s ankle sprain. It happened at Wednesday’s practice, resulting in a limited designation on the Cowboys’ practice report. On Thursday, Lamb did not practice at all. The good news is Lamb returned to practice Friday and got in a limited session.
The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken reported that head coach Mike McCarthy said Lamb is “getting better” and said, “I’m not of high concern…I anticipate he’ll practice [Saturday].”
Is CeeDee Lamb going to play this week?
It goes without saying that only Lamb knows how he feels. All we can do is listen to what the Cowboys coaches are saying and read what the beat reporters are telling us.
Lamb is listed as questionable, as is Amari Cooper. By the sounds of it, both receivers are going to play Sunday against the Broncos. This feeling was reinforced by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero on Sunday morning, who reported both Lamb and Cooper are expected to play. Nothing is certain, and it’s possible Lamb wakes up Sunday morning with his ankle not feeling great. But barring something unexpected like that, Lamb should be good to go. Fantasy managers can safely leave Lamb and Cooper in their lineups.
Sunday update: Lamb and Cooper are active.
If Lamb plays, fantasy managers are starting him
With Lamb, there isn’t a question as to whether fantasy managers should start him. Lamb is an every-week WR1/2 and a must-start whenever he’s in the lineup. If he’s active, you’re playing him.
The Cowboys play at 1 PM ET, which is great for fantasy managers as we will know Lamb’s status before any of the games begin.
What can fantasy managers expect from Lamb on Sunday?
Assuming Lamb plays, this could be a big week for the second-year WR. The Broncos are an average matchup for wide receivers. The biggest positive working in Lamb’s favor is something we heard from Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.
It appears as though Denver’s defensive strategy is to stop Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. Indeed, Donatell talked up the Broncos’ cover corners, saying, “There’s going to be one-on-ones out there, and we really see that our guys can be effective.” If the Broncos want to leave Cooper and Lamb singled up in man coverage, I’ll put my money on the Cowboys winning that matchup.
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Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has proven that his game plan is catered to the opposing defense. We’ve seen the Cowboys move the ball primarily through the ground. They’ve also gone with a pass-heavy approach when the situation called for it. Moore will call offensive plays based upon what the opposing defense gives him.
If the Broncos’ plan is to make sure the Cowboys don’t beat them on the ground, expect Dallas to go pass heavy. That’s fantastic news for Lamb and Cooper as each is capable of putting up big-time fantasy numbers, especially with increased volume. Fantasy managers should be very bullish on both receivers this week given the return of Dak Prescott.