The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Week 8 matchup between the Rams and Cowboys.
Find a breakdown of every Week 8 NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
| LA Rams | Rank | @ | Dallas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | Spread | -6.5 | ||
| 18.5 | Implied Total | 26.0 | ||
| 22.1 | 16 | Points/Gm | 25.7 | 5 |
| 20.1 | 14 | Points All./Gm | 16.7 | 4 |
| 65.4 | 11 | Plays/Gm | 65.3 | 13 |
| 62.7 | 14 | Opp. Plays/Gm | 57.8 | 2 |
| 5.6 | 10 | Off. Yards/Play | 5.0 | 20 |
| 5.2 | 17 | Def. Yards/Play | 5.0 | 10 |
| 40.17% | 23 | Rush% | 46.43% | 6 |
| 59.83% | 10 | Pass% | 53.57% | 27 |
| 45.10% | 23 | Opp. Rush % | 46.40% | 27 |
| 54.90% | 10 | Opp. Pass % | 53.60% | 6 |
- The Rams are third in the NFL in rate of drives that go three and out (25.4%). The league average is 33.7%.
- The Rams are averaging 2.4 sacks plus takeaways per game defensively, the fewest in the league.
- 7.6% of the Rams offensive plays have gained 20 or more yards, the third-highest rate in the league.
- The Rams are eighth in the NFL in touchdown rate per drive in the first half of games (25.8%).
- The Rams are 20th in touchdown rate per drive in the second half of games (15.4%).
- The Cowboys are 30th in touchdown rate per drive in the second half of games (13.3%).
Trust = spike production for that player
Quarterback
Dak Prescott: When we last saw Prescott back in Week 6, he was the QB1 overall in scoring.
Prescott threw for a season-high 9.1 yards per pass attempt, but he reached his ceiling for fantasy with a season-high 10.0 rushing points after just 4.5 combined rushing points over the opening five games.
He had four designed rushes, including an 18-yard touchdown, his most in a game this season.
Dallas has had issues scoring in the red zone this season, so incorporating Prescott as a rusher is a way to alleviate some of those struggles.
This would be a spot to keep Prescott active as a rusher because all of the high-scoring fantasy games the Rams have allowed have come attached to rushing output.
The Rams have allowed a league-high 6.1 rushing points per game to opposing quarterbacks.
I am still handling Prescott as someone I would prefer to start as a higher-end QB2.
Week 6 was Prescott’s first week this season as a QB1. It came against a Charger defense we have been circling weekly, so we will temper expectations of that becoming a norm.
That said, that was also the first time this season that Dallas played in a game with a neutral game script all season.
The Rams have started to give up some passing efficiency, allowing over 8.0 yards per pass attempt in three of their past four games.
What has kept them above par as a fantasy defense against the pass is that they are not allowing passing touchdowns.
Only Anthony Richardson has thrown multiple passing touchdowns against the Rams this season. Only the Ravens have allowed a lower touchdown rate to passers this season than the Rams have at 1.8%.
The Rams have allowed a league-low 30.8% of the touchdowns they have surrendered to come through the air. The league rate is 60.6%. If they continue to allow efficiency on a per-throw basis like they have of late, those passing touchdowns are going to regress.
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