Dallas Cowboys Bargains Lead to Fantasy Football Gold
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys Reporter, put together a fabulous article about the deals on the Cowboys roster. It seems like some of the best fantasy options from the team are on this list and that’s a pretty great thing. Why? Well, if a player is a “deal” then they are less likely to end up somewhere else or underutilized. Owners (even Jerry Jones) know that they get the most bang for their buck if they get maximum production from the relatively smaller hits on the salary cap.
So, who are the “Dallas Cowboys Bargains” you might draft next season?
1. Dez Bryant (WR): If you play fantasy football, watch football or even know what a football looks like then you know Dez Bryant is a top wide receiver. He may throw sideline temper tantrums, he may be a little cocky (and which NFL player isn’t) but the numbers don’t lie. Last year he amassed 1,233 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. In standard scoring leagues he was the 7th highest scoring wide-out on the season and didn’t miss a game.
2. DeMarco Murray (RB): In my opinion, Murray was the most underrated fantasy running back in the league last year. With a checkered injury past, Murray made a big comeback in 2013 by rushing for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns. He also caught 53 passes for 350 yards and one touchdown. He achieved all of this despite sitting out two games due to injury. In standard scoring leagues Murray was the 7th highest scoring running back and in the last four weeks of the season, when you really need production, he was the 3rd highest.
[Dan Bailey] has won a third of the Cowboys’ games the last three seasons. Todd Archer, ESPN
3. Dan Bailey (K): Kickers DO matter, but their production is hard to predict in the preseason. No one can know for sure which offensive unit will score consistent points so you always wait to draft a kicker until the last round. However, three or four weeks into the season you will know a) which teams score consistently and how that translates into consistent kicker numbers and b) who is accurate. Once you know those two things, act! Dan Bailey scored double-digit fantasy points 7 out of the 16 weeks and he never scored a zero. In what was considered an off-year for the Cowboys offense, Bailey still managed to score the 9th most fantasy points out of all fantasy kickers. Next year will be brighter.
4. Dwayne Harris (WR): Ah, the deep sleeper of the group! According to Calvin Watkins, also ESPN Dallas Cowboys Reporter, Jerry Jones said it was too early to discuss Miles Austin’s future with the team. However, pretty much everyone expects the Cowboys to cut Austin to save $5.5 million versus the salary cap. Harris is actually a special teams player/fabulous kick returner rather than a traditional wide receiver. That’s what we know. What we don’t know is how he would be utilized in a Austin-free offense while also staying healthy. Last year Harris suffered a hip injury, a hamstring injury and injured his shoulder in Week 10 requiring him to undergo surgery at the close of the season. Don’t jump at drafting Harris in any early keeper leagues, but do let him name occupy a little corner of your mind.
A look at the Cowboys bargainsIRVING, Texas – Earlier in the week Calvin Watkins brought you a post featuring the top-10 salary-cap figures for the Dallas Cowboys in 2014. For some, it was a little depressing to see the cash and cap figures being sunk into some players that have not lived up to the billing.
