Fantasy Football: Potential bargains, must-plays from Giants-Cowboys game
The New York Giants (2-0) host the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Monday night in an early season NFC East showdown.
Here are the fantasy prospects for the Week 3 game.
Quarterbacks
AP Photo/Ron Jenkins
It’s Daniel Jones versus Cooper Rush. Want me to keep going? We all know what Jones has done and is doing — managing to not lose games and making plays to sustain drives. That means nothing to fantasy players.
Rush is 2-0 lifetime as a starter and threw for 235 yards and one touchdown last week against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jones is ranked 19th in total fantasy points among quarterbacks after two games.
In season-long you’d really have to be strapped to play either one. In classic DFS, I’d steer clear as well.
Running Backs
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Saquon Barkley leads the NFL in rushing after two weeks. He exploded in Week 1 but came down a bit last week. He has 567 scrimmage yards (94.5 per game) and a rushing touchdown in six career games versus the Cowboys.
Ezekiel Elliott has nine touchdowns (eight rushing, one receiving) in 10 career games against the Giants and aims for his fifth in a row versus New York with a rushing touchdown.
Tony Pollard stepped up in Week 2 with 98 scrimmage yards (55 receiving, 43 rushing) and a touchdown against the Bengals. He aims for his third in a row versus the Giants with 85+ scrimmage yards.
All three can be played here, but it’s not the greatest of matchups. The Giants are allowing 20.2 fantasy points to running backs this year while Dallas is allowing just 12.6.
Tight Ends
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Dallas could be without starter Dalton Schultz (knee) who when healthy is a steady performer. In his absence the Cowboys have two rookies — Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot. Plus the Giants have allowed just 2.9 fantasy points per game to tight ends, so you’re flying blind here should Schultz have to sit.
The Giants have three tight ends who they use lightly (Chris Myarick, Daniel Bellinger and Taylor Hudson) who are basically touchdown-dependent. Myarick and Belligner have both scored so far this year.
Dallas is allowing under two fantasy points per game against tight ends this year, so there’s no reason to play any of these guys.
Wide Receivers
AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth
The Cowboys have Cee Dee Lamb. That’s the good news. The bad news is they have little else, plus the Giants have been shutting down wideouts thus far this season. They should get Michael Gallup (knee) back this week but he could be on a ‘pitch count.’
The Giants’ wide receiver unit is a mess, too. Kenny Golladay is in the doghouse and Kadarius Toney (hamstring) and Wan’Dale Robinson (knee) are hurt. That leaves Sterling Shepard, Richie James and David Sills.
In season long, fantasy owners will likely play Lamb but you’re rolling the dice with the others.
Defense/Special Teams
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This is where the rubber meets the road in this game, which isn’t saying much. Dallas has the 19th ranked defense in terms of fantasy points. The Giants are 20th. It’s doubtful either will be heavily played this week.
Dallas’ superstar linebacker Micah Parsons (illness) sat out Thursday’s practice but is expected to play. He has been practically unstoppable this year again and will present multiple challenges to the Giants’ wobbly offensive line.
New York could be getting their two bookend pass rushers back (Azeez Ojulari, Kayvon Thibodeaux), but wilily be without cornerback Aaron Robinson (appendix) again and Leonard Williams is sidelined with a knee sprain.
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