Tag: 2024 Week 8

When teams report to training camps in late July, the prep window is locked in. 45 days after the first camp practice comes the regular season opener, setting a timeline for getting in football shape.

Dalvin Cook was given an extra 15 days to ramp up. Signed on August 28, the former Minnesota Viking second-round pick is set to make his Dallas Cowboys’ debut on Sunday night, 60 days after he was signed. Cook needed a little bit of extra seasoning after sitting on the sideline all offseason, not participating in OTAs or minicamps, waiting on the right opportunity to come along.

The extra time makes sense, given that in-season practice doesn’t offer the same number of reps as training camp, but now he’ll be part of the Cowboys’ crowded and questionable running back room, which shifts fantasy outlooks for a number of players, most notably Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle.

Neither back has logged a single special team’s snap on the 2024 season, which makes for an interesting dynamic. Cook has never played on special teams in his career. Elliott’s played under 10 snaps, all on kick returns, in his career.

Dowdle, a career backup until assuming RB1 duties this year, has an extensive history of playing teams, with almost 400 career snaps and 180 over the last two seasons.

But again, he’s been the lead back.

Elliott certainly holds the biggest question mark with Cook’s elevation.

Offensive snaps have been steady for Elliott save for a two-game lull in Week 3 and Week 4, when he totaled just 21 snaps. He’s seen between 21 and 29 snaps in each of the other four contests.

Elliott’s carries have returned to his average of around six per game, but he hasn’t totaled over 20 rushing yards since Week 1. He has only one target and no receptions over the last two weeks. It’s hard to see how he’s a viable play in fantasy this week.

There’s even a chance (because of the special teams factor) that Elliott is made inactive on Sunday.

Dowdle’s fantasy production has been fairly stable as an RB3 for PPR leagues. He had just 55 total yards in the blowout loss to the Lions in Week 6 before the bye, but that included five receptions. He had scored touchdowns in each of the two previous games, though he saw just 19 offensive snaps in Week 6.

Fans should likely hold off on playing any of the three backs in Week 8, especially since there aren’t any teams on a bye this week; regular starters should be available.

If one has to choose, taking a flyer on Cook just makes sense, as Dowdle hasn’t shown the ability to be a difference maker and the chasm between no Cook production and Dowdle’s season-best isn’t an earth-shattering one.

The Cowboys are coming out of their bye week, where they had a chance to lick their wounds after being demolished by Jared Goff and the Ben Johnson offense of the Detroit Lions. The creativity in scheme and concept, along with top-shelf offensive personnel was too much for a depleted defensive roster under the direction of Mike Zimmer.

Now, that same group is traveling to San Francisco in Week 8 to take on QB Brock Purdy and the Kyle Shanahan offense. Will they fare any better? It would certainly help if Micah Parsons were able to return from injury and course-correct his slow start to the season against a team that has defeated Dallas three times in a row, more thoroughly with each victory. But unfortunately, Parsons won’t have the opportunity to impact this week’s game.

Parsons was ruled out for a third consecutive contest as he is still dealing with a high-ankle sprain that knocked him out of the team’s Week 4 win over the New York Giants.

Parsons did not practice all week, and with Dallas entering the meat of their 2024 schedule, it’s a significant blow to their desire to right the ship after starting 3-3. The Cowboys will head to Atlanta next week to square off against Kirk Cousins and company, before returning to AT&T Stadium where they are 0-3 on the season to face division rival Philadelphia.

With DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland both on returnable IR, along with the season-ending preseason loss of Sam Williams, the pass rush is lacking significant punch, made worse by the free agent defections of Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler in the offseason.

Dallas needs to generate pressure, somehow, to have a chance.