Thursday Evening Soccer takes us from the AFC East final week to the NFC East in Week 4 as dreaded rivals, the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants, sq. off on primetime.
In fact, rivalry is perhaps pushing it a bit; the Cowboys have been an NFC East powerhouse for a lot of the Dak Prescott period, whereas the Giants have been something however. Regardless, there are fantasy angles aplenty right here — let’s get to the story of the tape. And talking of tales …
A story of two WR1s
CeeDee Lamb was in consideration for the No. 1 decide for a lot of the summer time (and in hindsight, he would possibly’ve been the most secure possibility of all, as Christian McCaffrey has been on the shelf with a severe Achilles damage and Tyreek Hill misplaced his beginning quarterback for the foreseeable future). Malik Nabers was a mid-round decide, with a lot of the neighborhood accepting the foregone conclusion that Daniel Jones would restrict Nabers’ in any other case lofty ceiling.
By means of three weeks, Nabers is the WR1 in all of fantasy soccer. Lamb is all the best way down at WR19.
My colleague Scott Pianowski predicted the Giants could be focusing on Nabers the second he bought off the bus this season. That prediction has rung true up to now; Nabers leads the league in WR targets. This, for my part, is what has held Lamb again this season — targets. He solely has 24 complete by way of the primary three weeks, and simply 13 catches. That’s nowhere close to sufficient for 2023’s total fantasy WR1. And contemplating the Cowboys aren’t precisely flush with cross catchers — to not point out Jake Ferguson has been hampered with accidents — it is no shock the Cowboys offense hasn’t discovered their stride to this point (undoubtedly excluding rubbish time in Week 3).
The Cowboys, little doubt offended about their Week 3 loss in opposition to the Ravens — Lamb himself has apologized for his efficiency and frustrations in that recreation — ought to win this recreation. If the Giants have any probability on the upset, they may proceed doing what they’ve accomplished this season: flood Nabers with targets. However perhaps Dallas ought to take a web page out of New York’s e book and do the identical with their All-World famous person receiver.
I anticipate Lamb to place up his greatest efficiency of the season on this recreation.
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Is Rico Dowdle beginning to run away with the RB1 job?
The Cowboys have been lambasted this season by followers and speaking heads alike for his or her negligence at addressing the operating again place this offseason. In any case, they might’ve signed Derrick Henry (who tore by way of the Dallas protection in Week 3) or drafted Braelon Allen (who appears to be like like he may very well be a starter if there wasn’t a Breece-Corridor-shaped impediment in his manner). As an alternative, the group determined to roll with unproven Rico Dowdle and the ghost of Ezekiel Elliott.
Issues have not precisely labored out for Dallas in that regard. Startlingly, Dallas is averaging the third-fewest complete speeding yards per recreation within the NFL.
Now, you would possibly suppose, by the header of this blurb, that I will pose the state of affairs of Rico Dowdle saving the day. That is unlikely. This offense, a minimum of this season, ought to dwell and die by the arm of Dak Prescott. However a minimum of Dowdle has proven some enchancment within the backfield, and, if given the keys, might function a stable complement to the passing recreation. And people keys would possibly’ve inched additional in Dowdle’s course in Week 3. He out-carried Zeke, 8-3, and added one other three receptions for 53 yards.
Certain, the Cowboys have been enjoying catch-up for a lot of the day. We’ll see how the backfield distribution shakes out in opposition to the Giants, which needs to be a constructive gamescript for Dem Boys. However Dowdle now has strung two consecutive weeks of extra backfield work than Elliott. If he takes over this backfield in full, Dowdle will leap from fringe-flex choice to RB2 territory.
His workload and subsequent manufacturing will likely be one thing to look at on TNF.
Begin: Devin Singletary
It isn’t precisely the sexiest suggestion, to start out Devin Singletary if you happen to’re debating a flex possibility, or to proceed beginning him if you happen to’ve had no selection. In any case, it appears like he is a journeyman at age 27 and he was a operating again you may choose round decide 100.
But, all he does is produce, in 2024 and all through his profession.
Singletary has scored a landing in consecutive video games, and he is been producing at a 4.7-yards-per-carry clip. Certain, the Cowboys will undoubtedly be seeking to tackle their run protection points after Derrick Henry crushed them for 174 complete yards and two touchdowns — the Cowboys have the worst speeding protection by way of three weeks — however it will behoove the Giants to feed Singletary and burn clock to maintain Prescott and the Dallas offense off the sector. And the best way the Jones-Nabers connection has been clicking, Singletary has a excessive probability at a 3rd straight landing. Fireplace him up.
