Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
This game really, really grinds my gears.
Related: Fantasy Football Week 7: T.Y. Hilton Will Bounce Back
Many planned on this game being one of the most fantasy-friendly games of the day. Too struggling defenses, two high-powered offenses, points wouldn’t be hard to come by, right?
Wrong. And I was sick to my stomach watching it.
Dallas Cowboys, 17, Philadelphia Eagles, 3
Cowboys: I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I absolutely love Tony Romo. So much, in fact, that I have ranked him inside the top-two among quarterbacks in each of the past two weeks. The matchups have been favorable, and Romo has been strong. However, this game didn’t go according to plan, as you can see be the score, so Romo wasn’t a dominant fantasy signal caller. He did throw for 317 yards, but also threw two picks. Late in the game, however, he threw a touchdown strike to impressive rookie Terrance Williams. It was just an odd, defensive game between two weak units. I’m not even the slightest bit worried about Romo and this offense. He’s arguably a top-five guy going forward.
Many were interested to see how Joseph Randle would fair during his start in place of the banged up DeMarco Murray. I was hesitant to invest in him too much, but he had a strong game. Randle carried the ball 19 times for 65 yards, while catching three passes for 28 yards. He didn’t exactly wow anyone, but did enough to help Dallas win the game,converting on third downs, making key receptions, etc. Even though Phillip Tanner ultimately scored the goal line touchdown, he only carried the ball twice all game. Until Murray can return to the lineup (which could be next week), Tanner is the Dallas running back to own.
I was hoping for a monster game from the monster himself, Dez Bryant. But again, the defensive trolled us all and actually showed up today. Still, Dez was clearly Romo’s go-to guy in the passing game, seeing 16 targets, catching half of them for 110 yards. He had many scoring opportunities in the end zone, but a few deflections and pass interference calls interfered with his touchdown celebration. Meanwhile, a guy I was extremely high on this week continued to produce. The Eagles have allowed six receivers to score double-digit touchdowns this year (Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, Leonard Hankerson, Eddie Royal, Rueben Randle, Vincent Jackson). Williams didn’t continue that trend, but he did find the end zone, while catching six balls for 71 yards. Meanwhile, Miles Austin continues to be an afterthought compared to Williams. He has been targeted three times in his last two games, resulting in zero catches. Williams is emerging as the number two wideout, if he already isn’t it.
Eagles: So many experts had Nick Foles inside their top-1o this week (myself included). It makes sense, too. Dallas was allowing the most fantasy points to opposing wideouts, Foles was on a roll and the game (again) was expected to be high-scoring. However, Foles displayed some atrocious accuracy in this one. He completed 11-of-29 passes (37.9%) and threw zero touchdowns. To add injury to insult, Foles suffered a head injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. With original starter Michael Vick already ruled out (hamstring), rookie Matt Barkley replaced him and looked even worse. If Foles or Vick are under center, they are worthy of a start next week against the Giants secondary. If it’s Barkley, I’ll pass.
Star running back LeSean McCoy had a rough outing, rushing for just 55 yards on the day. With Foles showcasing some god awful accuracy, as well as presenting no threat with his legs, the Dallas defense dialed in on McCoy, which limited his running room. Not much else to say here. He’s still a top-five running back the rest of the way, but perhaps Vick being under center is better for his value. As for the receivers, DeSean Jackson was also shut down, catching three of eight targets for just 21 yards. He also suffered a minor foot injury, but returned to the game. Jackson has been awesome this year, and Foles’ struggles hurt him. Everyone is allowed to have a bad game, right?
17-3 though? Unreal.
Adam Pfeifer is a featured fantasy sports columnist for Rant Sports.
You can follow him on Twitter @aPfeiferRS.
