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No. 7 Baby Got Dak
It was a disappointing 2017 for Cowboys fans, but there is hope the team can turn things around with Ezekiel Elliott back for a full season. If you are still backing Dak Prescott, Athlon has the perfect name for you, especially if you are into old school hip hop. Prescott did lose top weapon Dez Bryant this off-season, and it is unclear how the Cowboys are going to replace his production this season. Fantasy owners are taking notice as Prescott is going dreadfully low in drafts. According to Fantasy Pros, Prescott has an ADP of 140.6 making him QB20. Given his ability to give you a few rushing touchdowns, Prescott is not a bad gamble, even if you pair him with another late-round quarterback. We may see more of Prescott in the run game given the uncertainty at receiver. Even though the Cowboys have a roster full of under-the-radar receivers, Prescott believes things are starting to come together for the offense. "We're starting to click," Prescott explained to the Dallas Morning News. "Starting to hit the deep ball a lot more in some of these last practices than we did early on. But we knew that would be a part of it, working out the kinks. And we're all getting comfortable with each other. It's fun to do it." Getting Elliott back for an entire season should also help take some of the pressure off Prescott as the Cowboys can lean on their run game. The Cowboys traded for Tavon Austin this off-season, and Prescott believes the wideout will be an every-down factor. "I didn't know he was as good of a receiver as he was and could run routes as well as he does, and catch the ball every single time," Prescott told the Dallas Morning News. "For me, from that standpoint, he's not just a gidget, gadget guy. You don't have to run him on speed sweeps and all that. ... He's a guy you can put out there, inside, outside and trust he's going to get open." Prescott's numbers were down in nearly every major statistical category in his sophomore campaign. Prescott went from throwing just four interceptions his rookie season to 13 picks last year. His completion percentage was down nearly five percent. It was not just Prescott, as the entire Cowboys offense struggled. With veterans like Bryant and Jason Witten no longer on the team, Prescott's fantasy value mostly depends on a group of young, unproven skill players. It may be a risk, but it is hard to imagine Prescott's fantasy stock being much lower.When the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with star wide receiver Dez Bryant, the obvious expectation was that Dak Prescott would be in for a bit of a drop-off. Along with that, Prescott also saw his numbers hit a decline, partially due to Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension last season.
With multiple new weapons in the passing game, including Allen Hurns and rookie Michael Gallup, it would be understandable if Prescott didn’t return to 2016 form. But as former NFL running back LaDainian Tomlinson told Jean-Jacques Taylor and Will Chambers on “J Dub City” on KESN-FM 103.3 recently, he doesn’t believe that will be the case.
Via SportsDayDFW:
“They’ll be a strong team. I still believe that they will be able to run the football and I think Dak [Prescott] will surprise some people this year. I know most people think because of the lack of weapons outside that Dak might not put up the type of numbers that most of the top quarterback will this year, but I disagree with that. This will force Dak to find connections with other guys. Allen Hurns, guys that are new to the team, he’s gonna find connections with those guys.” Tomlinson stated.
“Obviously, having a guy like Cole Beasley there as a security blanket, especially on third downs and different situations in the game, I think he’s gonna do quite well. So yeah, the running game might suffer a little bit because of the offensive line, but I think Dak picks up his game.” he finished.
It’s an interesting comment from Tomlinson, and the upside for Prescott is unquestionably there. He completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 3,667 yards and 23 touchdowns along with six rushing scores as a rookie. Prescott also threw just four interceptions in his first year, a number which jumped to 13 in year two.
While Bryant no longer being in town could hurt the 25-year-old quarterback on some levels, it’ll also allow him to spread the ball around more. Elliott’s expected heavy workload will also open the offense up for Prescott, which we saw quite a bit during his rookie year.
Time will tell, but Tomlinson’s argument for the Cowboys quarterback makes a lot of sense. There are certainly question marks, but also reason for optimism surrounding Prescott.