Elliott rushed the ball 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns. He added two receptions for nine yards. Elliott was on the field for Dallas' first possession, but he alternated drives with Rico Dowdle for the entirety of the game. Elliott was the more efficient of the duo by averaging 4.0 yards per carry, and he also plowed into the end zone from three yards away late in the second quarter. A continued even split between Elliott and Dowdle would be bad from a fantasy perspective for each rusher, though Dallas will presumably be willing to turn to one more consistently if either Elliott of Dowdle can prove effective with his opportunity.
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Status
ACTIVELatest Ezekiel Elliott news
Team
Dallas Cowboys
Birthdate
7/22/1995 (29)
Status
Active
HT/WT
6'0", 228 lbs
Draft Info
2016: Rd 1; Pk (DAL)
Birthplace
Alton, IL, USA
Position
RB
College
Ohio State
Experience
9 seasons
Career History
Dallas Cowboys
2016-2023, 2024-Present
(8 seasons)
New England Patriots
2023-2023
(1 season)
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DraftKings points 13.7FanDuel Points 11.8ATT 12.1TD 0.4RUSH YDS 39.9LNG 9.4REC 3.8REC TD 0.3REC YDS 21.3AVG 5.6RAC 25.2CBSS fantasy points 10.1ESPN fantasy points 10.1Yahoo fantasy points 12.0
Pregame Probabilities
Expected to run >100 RYDS1% -
Full season projectionsATT 174.7TD 2.4RUSH YDS 748.0LNG 22.0REC 54.4REC YDS 345.7AVG 6.4
Elliott rushed the ball 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns. He added two receptions for nine yards. Elliott was on the field for Dallas' first possession, but he alternated drives with Rico Dowdle for the entirety of the game. Elliott was the more efficient of the duo by averaging 4.0 yards per carry, and he also plowed into the end zone from three yards away late in the second quarter. A continued even split between Elliott and Dowdle would be bad from a fantasy perspective for each rusher, though Dallas will presumably be willing to turn to one more consistently if either Elliott of Dowdle can prove effective with his opportunity.
Elliott is expected to have a "pretty even split" of the reps out of the backfield with Rico Dowdle in Sunday's season opener in Cleveland, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Though the Cowboys could end up riding the hotter hand of the two backs as the game goes along, both Elliott and Dowdle look set to be part of the team's game plan to begin the contest. Pelissero adds that practice-squad member Dalvin Cook could factor into Dallas' backfield mix as soon as Week 2 against the Saints, but the Cowboys chose not to elevate Cook for Week 1, leaving Deuce Vaughn as the No. 3 option behind Elliott and Dowdle. With the threat of a timeshare with Dowdle on the table for at least Week 1, Elliott might not make for an especially enticing option in fantasy lineups outside of deeper leagues.
Elliott continued to splits first-team reps with Rico Dowdle during the Cowboys' joint practice with the Rams on Thursday, Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com reports. After spending a season in New England and producing a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, Elliott returned to Dallas this offseason on a cheap, one-year contract, but the 29-year-old still appears headed for a significant workload. The Cowboys don't have a clear No. 1 option in the backfield following the departure of Tony Pollard, so Elliott and Dowdle seem primed to handle the majority of the carries, with Royce Freeman (groin) and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn (hamstring) also potentially in the mix. Elliott scored 24 total touchdowns with 2,257 scrimmage yards in 32 regular-season games over his last two seasons with the Cowboys, but it's highly unlikely he'll approach that level of production in 2024.
Elliott's one-year, $2 million contract with the Cowboys includes $1.75 million guaranteed, and he can earn up to $1 million more via incentives, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports. All of the incentives require Dallas making the playoffs, with the other parts entailing Elliott playing more than half the team's snaps ($500k), scoring 10 touchdowns ($250k) or reaching 1,100 yards from scrimmage ($250k). He did all three of those things in 2021, and two of the three in his most recent season with the Cowboys (2022). A one-year sojourn to New England proved less productive, though Elliott handled some huge workloads late in the season after Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high-ankle injury, averaging 14.8 carries and 5.2 catches over the Patriots' final six games. The Cowboys probably won't call on him that often, even with their other backfield options -- Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner -- being less than stellar. The Cowboys didn't draft a running back in April, and none of their veterans besides Elliott has ever run for more than 521 yards in a season.
Elliott agreed to terms Monday to a contract with the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Pending a physical, Elliott will attempt to reignite his career in Dallas, the team with which he spent the first seven years of his NFL career and earned two All-Pro nods. The Cowboys recently lost Tony Pollard to free agency and, to the surprise of most analysts, opted not to select a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, giving Elliott an easy path to the No. 1 role in a backfield that also includes Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn (ankle). It's unclear how much the former rushing champ has left in the tank entering his age-29 season, as across 17 games with the Patriots last season he carried 184 times for just 642 yards (3.5 YPC) plus three scores, while adding a 51-313-2 receiving line.
Elliott's agent is meeting with the Cowboys in Dallas on Wednesday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports. This isn't the first time the two sides have been connected this offseason, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported last month that there was mutual interest in a reunion. The Cowboys lost Tony Pollard to the Titans in free agency and only added end-of-roster types Royce Freeman and Snoop Conner to a depth chart that includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis. Elliott played in all 17 games for the Patriots last season, turning in a 184-642-3 rushing line while adding 51-313-2 as a receiver on 65 targets. Dallas will likely draft a running back this week.
Elliott and the Cowboys have mutual interest in possibly reuniting, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports. Elliott, who currently remains a free agent and turns 29 in July, played out the 2023 season with the Patriots and suited up for all 17 regular-season games. He rushed 184 times for 642 yards and three touchdowns, with a substantially higher workload during the final five games while Rhamondre Stevenson missed time with an ankle injury. He spent the first seven years with the Cowboys, who currently have only Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn (ankle) and Malik Davis atop the depth chart, so a reunion could make real sense if Zeke is open to a relatively team-friendly deal.
The 88 scrimmage yards were a season high for Elliott, as the Patriots went with a ground-heavy game plan that also saw Rhamondre Stevenson get 23 touches. Heading into New England's bye, the veteran RB has just 331 rushing yards and two TDs through 10 games as Stevenson's understudy, but Elliott could pop for bigger numbers in Week 12 against a Giants defense he has plenty of experience punishing from his Cowboys days.
Elliott was bottled up on the ground while teammate Rhamondre Stevenson produced a 64-yard touchdown en route to a season-high 87 rushing yards. The former Dallas running back has reached 50 scrimmage yards in only one of nine games with the Patriots, and Elliott continues to cede the majority of backfield touches to Stevenson. Given his modest role in New England's low-octane offense, Elliott won't have much fantasy appeal in Week 10, even against the porous Colts defense in Frankfurt.