Dynasty Capsule: Dallas Cowboys
Every year we give our premium content members a team-by-team, player-by-player look at the NFL season that was. The coverage will be in-depth, but because the Dynasty Capsule series begins immediately after the regular season, we won’t use it to discuss free agency or the draft. Come see us in early May once Mr. Irrelevant is off the board for another 32-article series giving you the same detailed discussion you’ll see below.
Buckle up dynasty fans, because you’re about to be reminded why our motto is, “There is no off-season.”
Quarterback
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Last season did not go according to plan. Romo broke his collarbone during week two against the Philadelphia Eagles, then broke it again on Thanksgiving Day against the Carolina Panthers. He turns 36 years old in April and soon he will be entering the twilight of his career. With 25 fourth quarter comebacks under his belt, Romo has been the heartbeat of the offense for nearly a decade and he will continue to be the team’s quarterback until he’s no longer able to suit up and play.
Romo currently has an ADP of 193.17 overall making him the twenty-third quarterback off the board. I’ll pay that price all day long for his services. When healthy, he has top ten upside any given week. He has one of the best offensive lines in the NFL protecting him and he’s still paired with Dez Bryant who is one of the best receivers in the NFL. He’s not going anywhere for at least the next few years. His price is next to free and he’s a solid quarterback to play matchups with.
Even though he showed flashes that he is capable of being the backup quarterback, Dallas’ hand is forced to entertain other options. Going 1-12 with a slew of quarterbacks consisting of Brandon Weeden, Matt Cassel and Kellen Moore won’t settle well with Jerry Jones. This is a hot button issue that the media is going to cram down our throats until Dallas comes up with their decision with what they are going to do.
Dallas swapped their 2017 fifth round pick for the Buffalo Bills’ 2017 seventh round pick in a trade to acquire Cassel. He was horrendous, losing out of the eight games that he started. He passed for only 1,276 yards and five touchdowns. He’s going to be a UFA going into next year. He might get signed by another team to be a backup, but you don’t want him nowhere near your dynasty team. Feel free to drop him if you currently have him on your roster. Hopefully, you already have.
He showed some flashes during preseason and he spent last season on the practice squad for the Cowboys. He’s a longshot, and the odds are stacked against him at becoming a starting quarterback in the NFL.
Running Back
He finished the season ranked fourth in rushing, with 1,089 yards. He also proved to be very effective in the passing game, with 40 receptions for 328 yards. With one of the largest injury histories in pro football, McFadden defied the odds by carrying the load for the Dallas Cowboys for most of the season without getting injured. This was the best season of his career.
He is signed through 2016 on a deal that is very cost effective for the Cowboys. There’s a good chance Dallas will bring in another running back to compete for the starting job either through the draft or free agency. McFadden was very dependable last season, so he has a good chance to win the starting job. Due to his age, injury history and the volatile state at the running back position for Dallas, McFadden holds very little long term value in dynasty. He’s a nice roll of the dice for next season if your team is a competitor and you can acquire him on the cheap.
He tore his ACL in week four against the New Orleans Saints. Before the injury he was off to an incredible start to his 2015 season. During the four games that he played, Dunbar caught 21 receptions for 215 yards while rushing for 67 yards. He was averaging 12.3 fantasy points per game before the injury.
His injury puts him in an awkward position due to him being a UFA this off-season. There are a lot of questions swirling in the air around Dunbar. Will Dallas re-sign him? Is his knee going to be healthy enough to allow him to participate during training camp? If Dallas doesn’t re-sign him, who will?
Dunbar’s dynasty stock is currently on the cheap. A late round rookie pick should be enough to get him in a trade right now. You could also look to have him added as a throw in piece to a bigger deal. I like Dunbar, as he’s very good at catching the ball out the backfield. I think it’s highly likely that he resigns with Dallas because the coaching staff seems to like him and he’s going to be cheap for them to resign since his injury killed his market value.
He will be a UFA heading into next season. Dallas snatched him off waivers after he was released by Cleveland in November. While playing in Dallas he managed to rush for 139 yards and one touchdown. He showed flashes that he was capable of being a productive running back, but it wasn’t enough to chip away from the large market share of carries that Darren McFadden owned. So far in his career he has proved to be a dependable back up who can be used in a committee.
Turbin was an interesting prospect coming out of college. He was very productive in college and his athletic metrics suggested that he was good enough to possibly get an opportunity to start at the NFL level. Then he was drafted by Seattle and was stuck behind Marshawn Lynch for multiple years. He’s a lunch pail type of back. Turbin comes to work, and does the little things like pass blocking and knowing the playbook. He’s very dependable. He may never end of being an NFL starting running back but he’s good enough to compete if he was given the starting role. Turbin isn’t the type of running back that would lead the league in rushing but he could prove valuable as a decent RB2 if he was given the opportunity of a larger workload. He’s a player that I would want to keep on the back end of my roster to see where he lands. If he goes to a team where he could get an opportunity for more touches then my interest will spark up even more.
Smith will still be under contract going into next off-season. There’s really not much to see here. He wasn’t productive in college and Dallas rarely utilized his services. There is a very good chance that Dallas cuts him during the off-season.
Wide Receiver
This was a rough season for Bryant. He broke his foot during week one against the New York Giants and he returned during week seven against the Seattle Seahawks. Bryant wasn’t himself after coming back from the injury. On top of the foot, he was also dealing with an ankle injury that limited his ability to practice. The horrendous season left Bryant catching only 31 receptions for 401 yards and three touchdowns.
The table above shows Bryant’s points per game since 2012. He’s a tremendous asset for your fantasy team when he’s healthy. He finished in the top ten in PPR scoring for wide receivers during 2012-2014. He is currently 27 years old and he won’t turn 28 until November of next year. He’s still a stud and I wouldn’t sell him right now because owners are expecting a discount due to his recent injury history and age. He has the potential to finish in the top ten at his position when healthy. Those credentials are hard to find. His stock is at an all-time low right now and it’s almost impossible to find a buyer that is willing to pay enough capital to make up for the scoring potential that he will provide for you team during the next couple years. He’s a major buy for me since he’s at a perceived discount right now.
He has proved to us that he isn’t capable of being the WR1 on his own team. He had every opportunity to take the bull by the horns this year to prove to us he’s capable of being a top fantasy asset and he didn’t. He finished last season catching 52 receptions for 840 yards and three touchdowns. Some of his awful production was due to the quarterback play but it was mostly due to his inability to get open. Even before this hellacious season, Williams’ fantasy value wasn’t dependable because his production relied on touchdown receptions. He’s a cheap buy right now and could be a solid WR3 for your fantasy team next year. Buyer beware, Dallas might draft or acquire another wide receiver in free agency.
Beasley has found his niche as a slot receiver. His role within the offense has increase each year. Last season he caught 52 receptions for 536 yards and five touchdowns. He’s very dependable on third downs for short quick completions. Right now, Beasley is a decent bye week replacement because he gets targets. There’s a chance that his volume could increase in the future if Jason Witten ever retires.
Dallas traded for Butler earlier in the season. He flashed his athleticism by making a few big plays for the Cowboys. He provides a different element that the rest of the receiving corps doesn’t provide and that’s size and speed on the outside. He’s the perfect end of bench stash for your dynasty team. There’s a chance he can beat out Terrance Williams for the number two wide receiver role for Dallas.
His primary duties are to return kicks and punts. Dallas likes to utilize his speed on designed run plays. He is the Swiss Army knife of the team because he’s asked to do a little bit of everything. Whitehead is an important piece for Dallas because he can fill multiple roles, which is beneficial for Dallas, just not your fantasy team. He’s never going to have a large enough market share of the offense to hold any fantasy value.
Dallas selected Street in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He’s not taking advantage of his opportunities and he simply looks lost sometimes. He only caught 53.85 percent of his targets. The odds are unlikely that he will ever put it together and become fantasy relevant.
The odds of either player making it on the roster next season are highly unlikely. Feel free to cut either player if you have them on your roster.
Tight End
Witten has averaged 11.14 fantasy points per game in PPR during the last three seasons. He finished ninth last season in PPR scoring amongst tight ends. Age is setting in as he is starting to get noticeably slower. He’s one of the toughest players in football as he plays through a lot of injuries, but they are starting to mount up. His dynasty value does not match his current production, which creates a great buying opportunity for win-now teams. Rebuilding dynasty teams should sell him now or as soon as possible. By the time your team is built he will be exiting the doors for retirement, so you might as well cash out now.
Dallas drafted Escobar in the second round during the 2013 draft. He has not lived up to expectations and with Jason Witten still being heavily involved in the offense it looks like it could be a while until he gets his chance. He should be considered an end of bench stash in dynasty leagues.
He’s going to be an UFA going into the off-season. He’s a very interesting player because his physical metrics are off the charts for a tight end, but he hasn’t been productive with the Cowboys and he wasn’t productive in college. He’s a player to keep on your watch list just in case he signs with a team that can give him more opportunities.
Dallas traded to get back into the seventh round during last year’s draft to select Geoff Swaim. He’s a blocking tight end who can be used in 21-personel packages. He’s not going to have any fantasy value going forward.
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