Some fantasy football league drafts are already gearing up, while others are still roughly a month away. When it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, there are some obvious players that will be drafted early.
Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson should go high among their respective positions. KaVontae Turpin probably cost himself a couple of rounds in fantasy drafts with his recent legal woes, but will still go high.
But there are two Cowboys that you should probably grab in the later rounds, assuming you have the roster spot for them in your league. These two could be poised for big seasons if certain things happen.
Emerging From A Loaded Backfield
I would imagine that Javonte Williams will turn out to be the most drafted running back from Dallas’ roster in fantasy football this year.
If Dallas keeps all six backs on the roster after training camp ends, Miles Sanders and rookie Jaydon Blue will likely follow.
The sleeper to grab out of this group is Phil Mafah, the seventh-round pick out of Clemson. Mafah is a more physical back and better suited to Klayton Adams’ approach to running the football.
If Mafah is there late in your draft, grab him and see how the first few weeks play out.
If he hasn’t been able to get past Williams, Sanders, and Blue by the time your first bye week players hit, then you can drop him and hit the waiver wires.
But for now, he’s worth a late-round gamble.
Insurance Policy
Normally, I advise against drafting the actual back-up of your starter at any position. But this year just might be the exception to that rule.
So, if you are in a keeper or dynasty league and have Prescott on your roster, or if you draft Prescott this year, here’s the move to make.
Draft Joe Milton at some point in your draft after you’ve shored up your starting lineup at the other positions.
It isn’t because Prescott is in jeopardy of losing his starting job in camp, or at any point in the season. He isn’t on any hot seat right now.
But Prescott does have an injury history that should be of concern to fantasy owners.
He has only played two full seasons out of his last five.
One of those two, missed a game with a leg injury. Of the three seasons he’s missed games due to injury, two of those were leg-related injuries.
He’s also not getting any younger, turning 32 later this month.
What Are The Odds
In Prescott’s case, per Draft Sharks, there is currently a 26% chance he misses time this season due to an injury.
If it’s another leg injury, see DeMarvion Overshown, who has back-to-back season-ending leg injuries on his record, Prescott could miss significant playing time again.
The Cowboys understood this when they traded for Joe Milton this offseason. As a fantasy owner of Prescott, you should make sure you get him on your roster too.
