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    Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Players To Target Include Tony Pollard, Brandin Cooks, Terry McLaurin, and Others

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    Who are some of the fantasy-relevant players you should be looking to start in the Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders matchup in Week 18?

    The Dallas Cowboys‘ fantasy outlook discusses the value of RB Tony Pollard, while the fantasy football preview of the Washington Commanders focuses on who you can trust to conclude the 2023 regular season.

    Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders

    • Spread: Cowboys -13
    • Total: 45.5
    • Cowboys implied points: 29.3
    • Commanders implied points: 16.3

    Quarterbacks

    Dak Prescott: With multiple touchdown passes in nine of his past 10 games, Prescott continues to roll. He’s completed at least 20 passes in 11 straight games, including this season’s first matchup with the Commanders.

    Speaking off, he earned a QB3 ranking in Week 12 when he faced Washington for the first time. He was one of four quarterbacks to clear 30 fantasy points that week, and he went 22 of 32 for 331 yards, four TDs, and a season-high passer rating of 142.1.

    Prescott is my QB2 this week, and that’s not a knock on him, as much as it is a nod to Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts’ value on the ground and his matchup. Would it surprise me if Prescott led the fantasy world in fantasy points this week? Not one bit.

    Running Backs

    Tony Pollard: The subsection of managers who play through Week 18 and are also playing for a championship with Pollard on their roster has got to be small.

    By “small,” I mean non-existent, and that might help us in the DFS streets. With many season-long leagues in the books, the daily scene typically sees an uptick in new players — players who need their fantasy fix with their main leagues now over.

    You know what those people aren’t doing? Rostering Pollard, who has been on a downward trend over the last few weeks. Per the Week 18 Cheat Sheet:

    • Week 12: RB9
    • Week 13: RB13
    • Week 14: RB17
    • Week 15: RB34
    • Week 16: RB46
    • Week 17: RB43

    Pollard has a total of 10 receiving yards over his past three games, and he doesn’t have a 20-yard touch since Thanksgiving. He is priced just behind Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs and a motivated Philadelphia Eagles RB D’Andre Swift and priced just ahead of Green Bay RB Aaron Jones in a pseudo-playoff game for the Packers.

    It’s awfully difficult to find leverage in what is traditionally a goofy week, but Pollard allows you to do that. In Dallas’ past four wins, their starting back has averaged 20.5 touches per game. If we are penciling in usage like that against the worst scoring defense in the NFL – one that has allowed 27-plus points in all seven games during their losing streak.

    Brian Robinson Jr.: The Cowboys’ defense is scary any week, but a motivated one that should be flying around with a significant lead might not be as bad.

    Robinson has been battling through injuries and only has three games with over 10 carries since Week 4. He projects as my favorite Washington RB this week, but that still doesn’t land him on the front end of my Flex range.

    MORE: FREE Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer

    His growth as a pass catcher (33 catches this season, 60 receiving yards last season) gives him an out to produce in this spot, but the risk outweighs the potential reward, in my humble opinion.

    Antonio Gibson: With Robinson at less than full health, Gibson has only managed an average positional finish of RB38 since the bye. His role in the passing game really hasn’t taken the step forward that we had hoped, and with four scores on 212 carries since the beginning of last season, there isn’t enough TD equity to chase against a defense that will be going all out.

    Wide Receivers

    CeeDee Lamb: Is Lamb the top receiver off the board in fantasy drafts next season? It’s certainly a conversation, and with double-digit targets in five straight (nine-plus in 11 straight), he could prove to be the ultimate league-winner for those with multi-week Super Bowls.

    Against Washington in Week 12, Lamb produced a WR17 ranking.

    The 24-year-old has set the single-season Cowboys record for both catches and yards in a single season, as he continues to trend straight up (catches, targets, yards, and touchdowns have all improved each season). There aren’t many players that will be picked ahead of him in 2024, and that list is even shorter when it comes to building a dynasty squad.

    Brandin Cooks: The veteran receiver is a WR2 for me this week, with a repeat performance of his first game against Washington (4-72-1) being very possible. In that matchup, he finished as the league-wide WR18.

    Prescott is clearly confident in Cooks near the end zone — he has seven TD catches, his most since his days in New Orleans — and with Dallas’ implied point total being as high as any team this week, that gives their WR2 as much scoring equity as any secondary option in the league.

    Yes, Lamb is the alpha in this offense, but without any other competition for targets among his fellow receivers, Cooks is a rock-solid play this week with your season on the line.

    Terry McLaurin: Washington’s WR1 needs another 54 yards to reach 1,000 yards for a fourth-consecutive season. Maybe he gets there, but I’m not expecting a whole lot more.

    Week 12 meeting: WR46

    McLaurin was WR46 in the first meeting with Dallas, and he has posted essentially three identical seasons in succession. While consistency year-over-year isn’t a bad thing, the lack of growth is a red flag.

    MORE: Katz’s Fantasy Football Start ’Em, Sit ’Em Picks for Week 18

    The production floor is concerning — McLaurin has no more than 61 yards in six of his past seven games, but this is a matchup against the fifth-best scoring defense, which allows the second-fewest completions per game.

    I’d rather play the top two receivers in both Pittsburgh and Green Bay over McLaurin this weekend.

    Tight Ends

    Jake Ferguson: The young tight end has been impressive this season, but this has not been the case recently. He’s only caught one TD in his past seven games and tallied no more than 45 yards in six of his past eight.

    Even with the tepid production for the better part of two months, Ferguson is a top-10 play for me this week, thanks to the matchup. Washington is 31st in yards per pass and passing yards per game and is 29th in pressure rate.

    Ferguson has 23 more targets than any Cowboys pass catcher not named Lamb, and that is a role to embrace in a soft landing spot like this, given the motivation of Dallas to win in convincing fashion.

    Logan Thomas: Even given the state of this position, Thomas is not of interest to me. The veteran totaled 63 yards in December, and without recent proof of him being a touchdown-creator (five in 29 games since the beginning of last season), there simply isn’t a path to top-10 projection.

    Trending Start/Sit Searches

    Did you know that we have a Start/Sit Optimizer here at Pro Football Network? It’s completely free to use, and it allows you to enter up to six players to find the best option to plug into your starting lineup.

    It also allows us to see the most popular trending searches. We’ve jotted some of them down here to help provide some clarity.

    Should You Start Brandin Cooks or Puka Nacua?

    With Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford officially resting, and the Cowboys in control of their own destiny, Cooks is the play here. The veteran receiver has scored in consecutive games and has looked good doing it.

    Rookie WR Puka Nacua is the more talented player, but with L.A. resting Stafford and Kupp, I can’t help but think their primary receiver doesn’t see a full day at the office this week. That’s enough to scare me off of him in favor of a receiver in a must-win spot.

    Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer, Start/Sit Optimizer, and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!

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