Getty Ezekiel Elliott will miss the Cowboys first six games.
Fantasy owners and Cowboys fans received bad news after star running back Ezekiel Elliott was suspended by the NFL for six games. This has left many fantasy owners wondering if Elliott is even draftable.
The answer is yes from a strictly football perspective. The details emerging are disturbing and Elliott’s suspension appears to be domestic violence related. While some fantasy owners take a hard stance against drafting players with certain personal misconduct, Elliott should absolutely still be rostered if you do not have such a stance.
Elliott will miss the first six games meaning he can return to action in Week 8 (the Cowboys have a bye in Week 6). Elliott could still play as many as nine fantasy games assuming your league does not play in Week 17. This includes your most important games which are your fantasy playoffs.
Given this information, I would feel comfortable drafting Elliott any time after round five and follow it up by drafting Alfred Morris in the following round. This combination gives you the running back behind the best offensive line in the NFL for the entire season. If you are curious about what the Cowboys backfield looks like after Elliott’s suspension, check out Heavy’s breakdown of each back.
Elliott rushed for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first NFL season. He was locked into the top three picks this off-season prior to the suspension news. Being willing to take a risk on Elliott could end up paying dividends at the end of your season.
With so few fantasy drafts happening this early, it is difficult to get a sense of where Elliott will be drafted. It is best to do a few mock drafts on sites like ESPN or wherever your league is being hosted. This will give you a sense of where other fantasy owners are selecting Elliott. Come up with your own valuation on where you are comfortable drafting Elliott.
For me, if Elliott is still there in the sixth round I am pulling the trigger and advise you to do the same. Where are you comfortable drafting Elliott? Leave your answer in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter @JonDAdams.
