Related: Fantasy Football Debate: Dallas Cowboys’ Terrance Williams
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo enters Week 9 sixth in the NFL in passing yards (2,216) with 18 touchdowns (third in the league) and that production has been spread around well, as the Cowboys have four players with at least 24 receptions (Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Terrance Williams and DeMarco Murray) and three (Bryant, Witten and Williams) with over 400 receiving yards.
One missing piece of Dallas’ passing arsenal to this point is wide receiver Miles Austin, who looks likely to miss his second straight game with a lingering hamstring issue after not practicing on Wednesday. Could someone else become a viable option for fantasy football owners in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings?
Cole Beasley had just one catch for eight yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 8, due in part to Romo completing just 14 passes in the game, but he had 17 catches (on 19 targets) over the previous four games with at least four receptions in the last three of those games. Bryant, Witten and Williams are clearly ahead of him for targets in the Cowboys’ passing game even in a best-case scenario, but that solid level of production is still fairly noteworthy.
The Vikings enter Week 9 allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers (24.4 per game, ESPN scoring), and their secondary continues to be plagued by injuries as cornerback Chris Cook (hip) and safety Jamarca Sanford (groin) both missed practice on Wednesday and look iffy to play on Sunday right now.
If Austin misses Sunday’s game and Dwayne Harris (no catches in the last three games) continues to be a non-factor, Beasley would be in line for a lot of snaps the No. 3 wide receiver for Dallas and he could be a mismatch out of the slot for an overmatched Minnesota secondary.
Beasley should only be considered as a possible WR3 or flex option in very deep PPR leagues in Week 9, particularly for owners who find their wide receiver depth depleted by a tough bye week or injuries.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24 or connect with him on Google +
