Football Team vs Cowboys Fantasy Football Worksheet, Week 16

The Worksheet, a fantasy football overview by Rich Hribar, breaking down everything you need to know for the Week 16 Washington Football Team at Dallas Cowboys Sunday Night Football game.

Washington	Rank	@	Dallas	Rank
10.5		Spread	-10.5
18		Implied Total	28.5
20.2	23	Points/Gm	28.6	2
25.1	25	Points All./Gm	20.9	7
63.9	12	Plays/Gm	68.7	2
62.3	13	Opp. Plays/Gm	63.1	16
5.2	20	Off. Yards/Play	5.9	7
5.9	28	Def. Yards/Play	5.7	24
44.52%	10	Rush%	41.16%	17
55.48%	23	Pass%	58.84%	16
39.33%	9	Opp. Rush %	38.96%	8
60.67%	24	Opp. Pass %	61.04%	25

The Cowboys are a league-best 8-2 against the spread as a favorite this season.
The Cowboys have held opponents to a league-best 31.8% conversion rate on third down this season.
Dallas is allowing a league-low 5.3 plays per possession.
Dallas leads the league in sacks plus turnovers forced per game (4.5).
The Cowboys are allowing 5.0 plays per game of 20 or more yards, 31st in the league.
Washington is averaging 3.0 gains of 20 or more yards per game, 29th in the league.
Since returning to the lineup in Week 9, Dak Prescott has completed 16-of-49 (32.7%) passes 15 yards or further from the line of scrimmage with 1 TD and 3 INT.
Prior, Prescott was 16-of-31 (51.6%) with 6 TD and 2 INT on those throws.

Trust = spike production for that player

Quarterback

Dak Prescott: Prescott’s fantasy struggles continued Sunday. Although he did complete 75.7% of his passes due to a 6.0-yard aDOT (29th in Week 15), Prescott threw for just 217 yards and 5.9 yards per pass attempt with one touchdown pass. It was his third straight game with one touchdown and 6.0 yards per attempt or lower.

We just saw Prescott against Wahington two weeks ago finish as the QB26 (9.9 points) with 5.4 Y/A and two interceptions. The definition of insanity is in play here, but Prescott still has a strong objective layout on Sunday as a QB1 option even if we knock him for his recent performances. Washington is ahead of only the Jets and Bears in passing points allowed per pass attempt while they are still allowing a league-high 17.6 passing points per game. They have allowed nine QB1 scoring weeks and QB1 scoring weeks to Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, and Jalen Hurts over their past five games.

Taylor Heinicke: Dealing with knee, elbow, and COVID issues, Heinicke was unable to play on Tuesday. Just two weeks ago, Heinicke was tormented by the Dallas defense. Dallas pressured Heinicke on 54.8% of his dropbacks in which Heinicke was 2-of-12 passes on those dropbacks. As a result, Heinicke completed a season-low 44.0% of his passes.

Dallas is fifth in passing points allowed per game (12.7) and fourth in points allowed per pass attempt (0.35) and touchdown rate (3.6%) to opposing passers, keeping Heinicke as a backend QB2.

Running Back

Ezekiel Elliott: Sunday was more of the same from Zeke. Elliott did find the end zone for the first time since Week 12, but he once against struggled on the ground (3.2 YPC) while posting 72 yards on 19 touches. Elliott now has had fewer than 100 total yards in eight straight games with a high of 76 yards over that span. Elliot has not run for 4.0 yards per carry in a game since Week 9.

Washington is fourth in rushing points allowed per game (10.1) to backs to provide no matchup leverage here. They are 26th in receiving points allowed per game (12.2) to the position. Elliott is still touching the ball enough paired with receiving and goal line use to be used as RB2, but the ceiling has all but disappeared here over the course of the season.

Antonio Gibson: It wasn’t pretty on Tuesday, but it got the job done. Gibson rushed 15 times for 26 yards against the Eagles, but he managed to find the end zone while tacking on six receptions for 39 yards to get into the top-five at this position in Week 15.

Gibson conceded another short touchdown for the second straight game, but with J.D. McKissic officially done for the year, Gibson’s extended role in the offense is secure moving forward. The rushing efficiency has not been here as Gibson has rushed for 3.4 YPC the past four games, but he has 20 receptions in those games after having 19 catches over his first 10 games of the season. Gibson is ninth among all backs in routes run over that stretch and fifth in targets. That is crucial for his floor compared to the early part of the season.

Gibson produced just 41 yards on 12 touches against Dallas two weeks ago, but that is a low bar to clear in the rematch. We still have Washington as a large underdog on the road to limit ceiling expectations for Gibson as a volume-based RB2.

Tony Pollard: After missing Week 14 with plantar fasciitis, Pollard returned to the lineup last week and look as electric on his touches as prior. Pollard turned 15 touches into 87 yards. Pollard has now been an RB2 or better in each of his past five games played despite scoring just one offensive touchdown over that span.

The thing that keeps Pollard in FLEX territory is the lack of money touches while this is a tougher rushing matchup. Pollard still has just two touches inside of the 10 this season.

Wide Receiver

CeeDee Lamb (TRUST): We haven’t gotten there with spike weeks, but Lamb continues to be the most used and consistent wide receiver in Dallas. Lamb caught 6-of-9 targets (24.3%) for 50 yards on Sunday, giving him over 24% of the targets in each of the past three games and eight or more targets in six of his past eight games.

Lamb had a modest 7-61-0 game against Washington two weeks ago with 15 yards rushing, but still draws the largest matchup leverage as Washington is 30th in points allowed to slot receivers (14.0 per game) and 10 touchdowns to slot wideouts (30th).

Amari Cooper: Cooper caught 2-of-5 targets for eight yards on Sunday, giving him 188 yards receiving over his past five games. Cooper has been a WR2 or better now in just three games this season. Seeing 13.5% of the targets on Sunday, Cooper has not hit a 20% target share in a game since Week 8. The most target he has seen over the past five weeks did come against Washington two weeks ago, catching 5-of-7 targets for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Washington is a positive draw overall, allowing 8.6 yards per target (25th) and a 5.6% touchdown rate (27th) to wideouts to keep the lights on for Cooper as a volatile WR3.

Michael Gallup: Gallup caught 3-of-5 targets for 32 yards Sunday, failing to catch five passes for the first time since returning in Week 10. Gallup has out-target Cooper 28-18 over the past four games played together (including nine targets against Washington in Week 14), but also has 60 yards or fewer in all of those games. Gallup has the same matchup advantages as mentioned above to be in play as a WR3.

Terry McLaurin: When I think of McLaurin, all I can think of is this. Catching 2-of-4 targets for 51 yards from Garrett Gilbert on Tuesday, McLaurin has now been outside of the top-40 scoring wide receivers in four straight games and for the ninth time this season. The only four times McLaurin has been inside of the top-30 (he was top-10 in all) are the four times he has caught a touchdown pass.

McLaurin was blanked on four targets before exiting the game against Dallas two weeks ago, but we have seen the Cowboys susceptible in giving up huge plays in the passing game when they do allow completions, leaving McLaurin as an all-or-nothing fantasy option.

Tight End

Dalton Schultz: Schultz collected all eight of his targets this past week for 67 yards and his fifth touchdown on the year. Schultz’s 21.6% target share was his highest in a game since Week 5, his last game versus the Giants. This coming off seeing 13.0% of the targets over the previous eight games.

Schultz caught 1-of-3 targets for four yards against Washington two weeks ago, but Washington does not pose a matchup threat overall, allowing 8.4 yards per target (29th) to opposing tight ends, but are 11th in touchdown rate (4.1%) allowed to the position. Schultz is a fringe TE1.

More Week 16 Fantasy breakdowns from The Worksheet: