2026 Team Outlook: Dallas Cowboys
Brian Schottenheimer returns for a second season as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He's been in their coaching system since 2022 (coaching analyst and offensive coordinator). The Cowboys regained their edge on the offensive side of the ball by ranking 7th in points scored (471) and leading the NFL in offensive yards (6,871). Schottenheimer went 7-9-1 in his first year leading a pro franchise, with his failure tied to massive regression on the defensive side of the ball over the past two years. He's been coaching in the NFL since 2001, with 13 of those seasons working as an offensive coordinator for the Jets, Rams, Seahawks, and Cowboys. Klayton Adams returns for a second season as the Cowboys' offensive coordinator, which was a step up from his previous coaching role (offensive line) with the Arizona Cardinals over the previous two seasons. He started his professional coaching career in 2019 with the Colts (assistant offensive line coach), leading to two seasons as their tight ends coach. After allowing 511 points (the most in the NFL), Dallas shifted to Christian Parker as their defensive coordinator for 2026. At age 34, he's been coaching in the NFL for seven seasons with Green Bay (defensive quality control coach), Denver (defensive backs coach), and Philadelphia (passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach). His new opportunity is a massive step up in job. The Cowboys' defense allowed 6,654 combined yards last year (third most in the league). Dallas continues to be a pass-first offense, highlighted by them throwing the ball 57.2% of the time last year and ranking third in the NFL in passing attempts (624). They finished ninth in rushing yards (2,136) while gaining 4.6 yards per carry, with 22 scores and 13 runs of 20 yards or more. Dallas ran the ball 27.4 times a game. The Cowboys led the NFL in passing yards (4,735), resulting in 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Their offensive line gave up 31 sacks, helping Dallas rank first with Seattle in completions of 40 yards or more Teams RATT YDS Run% ATT YDS Pass% Plays Yards Dallas Cowboys 466 2136 0.428 624 4735 0.572 1090 6871 (12). They gained 7.6 yards per pass attempt, with a competitive completion rate (67.2%). The Cowboys' defense bumped to 23rd in rushing yards allowed (2,133). They gave up 4.7 yards per carry with 24 touchdowns and 14 runs of 20 yards or more. Offenses average 26.6 carries per game against them. Dallas has the worst pass coverage (4,521 yards) in the NFL in 2025. Quarterbacks gained 8.1 yards per pass attempt (14 completions of 40 yards or more) with 35 touchdowns and six interceptions. Their defense finished with 35 sacks, compared to 52 in 2024.Team Overview
Offensive Outlook
Defensive Outlook
WR CeeDee Lamb, DAL - Stud (low risk)
Despite a quiet opener (2/29) and losing Dak Prescott for five games in 2022, Lamb announced himself as a true WR1 in his third Cowboys season. He steadied the ship from Weeks 2 through 6 with Cooper Rush at quarterback, hauling in 31 catches for 380 yards and two scores on 49 targets. He then caught fire over his final 11 games (playoffs included), posting 79 catches for 1,029 yards and seven touchdowns on 102 targets, eclipsing 100 receiving yards six times (11/150/2, 6/106, 7/126, 10/120/2, 11/100, and 10/117). He capped the Year WRC SPT WYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 253 0.604 3605 0.76 14.25 387 19 2024 235 0.590 2782 0.68 11.84 395 18 2023 263 0.614 3283 0.70 12.48 379 27 Dallas Cowboys
year by racking up 74.70 PPR fantasy points across Weeks 15–17 when fantasy championships were on the line. Lamb outdid himself again in 2023, setting career bests across the board for the third straight year (135 catches, 1,749 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 181 targets). Dallas also worked him into the run game with 14 carries that produced another 113 yards and two scores. He was virtually unstoppable at home (82/1,065/8, 27.81 FPPG in PPR), with four dominant outings (12/170/2, 11/165/2, 12/146/1, and 13/232/1). Lamb led all wide receivers in fantasy scoring at 405.20 points, capping a remarkable regular season with a 26/420/3 line across Weeks 15–17. Over his final 12 starts, Dallas fed him 13 targets per game. 2024 was a different story. Lamb sputtered through the first six weeks without a 100-yard performance, managing 32 catches for 467 yards and two touchdowns on 55 targets before a breakout showing (13/146/2). He then gutted through back and shoulder injuries alongside backup quarterback play, before finding his rhythm again from Weeks 14–16 (6/93/1, 9/116/1, and 7/105). His season came to a premature close over the final two weeks as his shoulder issue landed him on the shelf and ultimately required surgery. He still finished 2024 eighth among wide receivers in PPR scoring at 264.40 fantasy points, and was trending toward a sub-300.00 pace for 17 games. The arrival of George Pickens and an early-season high-ankle injury led to Lamb underperforming expectations for the second consecutive year. He opened up 2025 with two high-floor games (7/110 and 9/112 on 24 combined targets). His left ankle sprain knocked him out of Week 3 after seven snaps, resulting in a no-catch outing and three vacation weeks. Over his next eight games, Lamb caught 47 of his 75 targets (62.7%) for 754 yards and three touchdowns. He gained over 100 yards in four
matchups (5/110/1, 7/112/1, 6/121, and 6/111) while averaging 17.58 PPR fantasy points on 9.4 targets per game. The Cowboys struggled to get him space over his two contests (6/51 and 5/47 on 17 targets), followed by a light snap count (25) in Week 18 (one catch for four yards). Fantasy Outlook: Lamb continues to bring a workhorse WR1 profile, but he must regain his lost scoring edge in 2025. He ranks fifth at wide receiver in the early draft season in the National Fantasy Football Championship, with a late first-round ADP (9). If Lamb played 17 full games last year, he was on pace to catch 105 passes for 1,520 yards and four touchdowns (281.00 fantasy points in PPR formats). Dallas only gave him one rush (two yards) in 2025, compared to 57 carries for 388 yards and two scores over his previous 81 games. Lamb should continue to be treated as a 100+ catch wideout with 1,300+ yards and about eight touchdowns.
WR George Pickens, DAL - Stud (low risk)
Pickens caught 52 of 84 targets for 825 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. Pittsburgh was slow to involve him early, as he managed just five catches for 65 yards across his first three games (1/3, 1/23, and 3/39). He turned heads in three of the next four outings (6/102, 6/83, and 6/61/1) before the Eagles blanked him on three targets the following week. The Steelers gave him six or fewer targets in each of his final nine starts, yielding only three worthwhile performances (4/83/1, 5/57/1, and 3/72/1) despite an impressive 17.8 yards-per-catch average. In 2023, Pickens took a step forward across the board, posting career highs in catches (63), receiving yards (1,140), touchdowns (5), and targets (106). He showed big-play ability throughout, generating 22 receptions of 20-plus yards, with six of them gaining 40 or more. Five outings stood out above the rest (4/127/1, 6/130/1, 5/107, 4/195/2, and 7/131), but inconsistency remained a concern. He failed to crack 10.0
PPR fantasy points in 11 of 18 starts, including the playoffs, finishing 30th in wide receiver scoring at 209.00 PPR points. Pittsburgh looked to elevate Pickens in 2024 by upgrading its quarterback position, raising the ceiling on what he could become. He delivered six solid performances (6/85, 7/113, 5/111/1, 5/91/1, 8/89, and 3/74/1) across his first 12 games while averaging 7.5 targets per outing, though a hamstring injury wiped out three games. He signed off on the season with a strong postseason showing, going 5/87 on five targets. The best thing for the development of Pickens last season came when CeeDee Lamb was injured. It wasn’t the increase in possible targets; it was due to Dallas giving him chances closer to the line of scrimmage, allowing him to show he could make defenders miss in tight quarters. When blending his new catch floor with his ability to make big plays, Pickens blossomed into an impact WR1 (93/1,429/9 on 137 targets) in high volume passing attack. From Week 2 to Week 14, covering 12 starts, Pickens had a floor of nine targets in 11 matchups. He caught 75 of his 110 targets over this span for 1,149 yards and eight touchdowns (19.83 FPPG). Pickens was at his best in five contests on the year (8/134/2, 9/168/1, 9/144/1, 9/146/1, and 7/130/1), showcasing his impact ceiling. The Cowboys, in essence, gave him Week 18 off (25 plays – one catch for nine yards on three targets), leaving Picken six catches shy of his first 100-catch season. Fantasy Outlook: With a short elite wide receiver resume, Pickens projects as a value in the early draft season in the NFFC. He has an early third-round ADP (24) while ranking 10th at his position. Only four other wideouts (Puka Nacua, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Ja’Marr Chase) outscored him in PPR formats (291.90) in 2025.
I believe in his growth. Dallas franchised him for $27.3 million in April, giving Pickens more motivation to sign a longer big deal next offseason. Next step: 100 catches for 1,500 yards and 10 scores.
QB Dak Prescott, DAL - Solid/Safe Pick
Prescott's 2022 season was derailed early when a broken right thumb cost him five starts after an uneven Week 1 opener. He returned to finish the year but struggled with ball security, throwing a career-high 15 interceptions across 12 games while his yards per attempt slipped to 7.3. His completion rate (66.2%) remained favorable, and Prescott was consistent on the ground (45/182/1). On the downside, he averaged fewer pass attempts per game (32.8) than the year prior and only topped 300 passing yards twice (347/3 and 305/4) over his final 13 games (including the postseason). His 2023 season was a different story. With CeeDee Lamb emerging as a true WR1, Prescott posted his second-best passing yard total (4,516), matched his personal best in completions (410), and tied his high in combined touchdowns (38), all while posting a new top with his 69.5% completion rate. He started slowly through the first six games before exploding after the bye week with six consecutive strong outings, including back-to-back performances of 388 and 421 passing yards. He closed the regular season with 10 touchdowns over his final five starts and delivered a 448-yard postseason performance, finishing as the third-highest scoring fantasy quarterback (399.10) in four-point touchdown leagues. The 2024 Cowboys' offensive collapse was swift and painful. Prescott's completion rate dropped to 64.7%, and his yards per attempt (6.9%) regressed sharply. He was particularly poor at home to open the year, including an ugly two-interception, 179-yard shutout against Detroit. He averaged just 225 passing yards over his final five starts with seven
touchdowns and six interceptions before a hamstring injury requiring surgery ended his season in Week 9. Prescott proved to be a winning value at quarterback last season. He finished fifth in quarterback scoring (372.10), with three poor showings in fantasy points (Week 1 – 9.70, Week 8 – 10.50, and Week 18 – 2.50). Dallas gave him an early hook in the final game of the season due to the outcome being meaningless in the playoff standings. When at his best in 2025, Prescott passed for over 300 yards in six games (361/2, 319/1, 354/2, 320/2, 378/1, and 307/2), with five of those outcomes coming at home. He had two other starts with four touchdowns (237/4 and 268/4). Nine of his 16 full games resulted in 25.00 fantasy points or more, with three topping 30.00 fantasy points (34.15, 30.65, and 31.60). Fantasy Outlook: Prescott’s success last year was led by the emergence of George Pickens (93/1,429/9 on 137 targets), who proved to be more than a one-trick pony. On the downside, Dallas didn’t get the best season out of CeeDee Lamb (75/1,077/3 on 117 targets) due to an unfortunate early-season high ankle sprain in Week 3 (only seven snaps with no catches, followed by three missed games). Heading into the 2026 draft season, Prescott remains a value at quarterback. He ranks 10th in the National Fantasy Football Championship, with a late ninth-round ADP (105). Dallas has depth and talent at the receiving position, giving their offense the firepower to rank highly again in all passing categories this year. Possible 5,000 combined yards with 35+ touchdowns.
TE Jake Ferguson, DAL - Solid/Safe Pick
Ferguson wrapped up four seasons at Wisconsin with 145 catches for 1,618 yards and 13 touchdowns on 207 targets, with his most productive campaign coming in 2021 (46/450/3). Dallas invested a fourth-round pick in him in the 2022 NFL Draft. He eased into the league in a TE2 role as a rookie, finishing with 19 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns, with only one week qualifying as a fantasy-relevant outing (4/40/1). Year TRC SPT TYD YD% YC TGT TD 2025 105 0.251 822 0.17 7.83 138 9 2024 95 0.239 823 0.20 8.66 136 1 2023 83 0.194 864 0.19 10.41 126 7 Dallas Cowboys
The departure of Dalton Schultz in 2023 opened the door, and Ferguson walked right through it. Stepping into the lead tight end role, he caught 71 of 102 targets (69.6%) for 761 yards and five touchdowns. He delivered six or more catches in six games (7/77, 7/91/1, 6/77/1, 6/44, 6/69, and 10/93/3, the last coming in the playoffs) and was nearly unstoppable at home, where he scored seven of his eight touchdowns. The breakout season landed him ninth among tight ends in PPR scoring at 151.50 points. Knee and concussion issues sidelined him for three games in 2024, and he logged three catches or fewer in seven of his 14 starts. His yards- per-catch dipped from 10.7 to 8.4, reflecting a less explosive role. Bright spots were few but present, with four steady showings carrying his fantasy value (6/95, 7/49, 6/70, 7/71). Fantasy team rode Ferguson up the standings over his first seven games (5/23, 9/78, 13/82, 7/40/1, 7/49/2, 3/33/1, and 7/29/1), thanks to him averaging 17.20 PPR fantasy points over this span. On the downside, he gained only 6.5 yards per catch, with one of his first 51 catches gaining 20 yards. After the Broncos shut him out in Week 8 on one target, his value almost diminished by the week over his final nine starts (31/266/2 on 43 targets – 7.44 FPPG). Fantasy Outlook: Ferguson’s 2025 body of work (82/600/8 on 102 targets) ranked fourth at the tight end position in PPR scoring (190.10). This draft season, he is the 14th TE selected with an 11th-round ADP (125) in the National Fantasy Football Championship. His stats over the past three seasons support another 70-catch year with about five scores, with less impact value in receiving yards, unless Dallas gives him chances downfield.
RB Javonte Williams, DAL - Solid/Safe Pick
Williams' 2022 season was cut short in Week 4 when he tore an ACL in his right knee after just 23 snaps, finishing with 280 yards and 16 catches across four starts before going down. He returned for the 2023 opener but struggled to find his rhythm, managing just 36 carries for 138 yards and eight catches for 42 yards through his first three games. A quad injury led to an early exit in Week 4 and cost him another start. He steadied over the back half of the 68 0.171 457 0.11 6.72 86 3 Dallas Cowboys
season, averaging 12.28 PPR fantasy points per game across his final 12 matchups with four strong outings in Weeks 8 (18.80), 10 (21.00, 14 (18.10), and 18 (20.50). Even so, he never topped 85 rushing yards in a single game and posted underwhelming efficiency numbers across the board (3.6 yards per rush and 4.9 yards per catch). His 2024 season followed a familiar pattern of early promise and late irrelevance. Denver gave him 131 touches over his first nine games (nearly 15 per contest), producing 11.26 PPR fantasy points per game with a highlight showing in Week 7 (111 combined yards with two touchdowns and three catches). But the Broncos drastically scaled back his role in the second half of the season, feeding him just 69 touches over the final nine games, including the playoffs, effectively removing him from fantasy relevance. His big-play limitations remained a persistent theme, with a 3.7 yards- per-carry average doing little to inspire confidence. Despite the underwhelming body of work, Williams still managed to finish 30th among running backs in PPR scoring with 160.10 points. In his fifth season in the NFL, Williams developed into the power runner the fantasy market once thought he would be. Dallas gave him 287 touches across 16 games, and he ran with passion and fight, leading to career highs in carries (252), rushing yards (1,201), and touchdowns (2). His yards per carry (4.8) were well above his previous resume (4.0), highlighted by gaining 3.3 yards after contact. Williams' best fantasy value came over his first eight games (18.83 FPPG) due to scoring nine of his 13 touchdowns over this span. He scored 17.90 PPR fantasy points or more six times to open 2025, a threshold Williams failed to break for the remained of the year. Over his final eight starts, Williams averaged 17.4 touches and 12.05 PPR fantasy points per game. Dallas barely used him in the passing game (11/44/1 on 17 targets). He played through neck and shoulder
issues in December. The Cowboys re-signed him to a three-year deal for $24 million in February. Fantasy Outlook: In the early draft season, National Fantasy Football Championship drafters rank Williams as a mid-tier RB2 (17th back selected) with a fourth-round ADP (44). He finished last season as the 12th-best running back in PPR fantasy points (244.80). His 2026 draft pricing falls into his finish last season rather than his early success. In his fantasy career, Williams is batting .200, meaning he has one hit over five chances. Is his success repeatable? I believe so, and better defensive play by the Cowboys should lead to more fourth-quarter carries when Dallas plays from the lead. He should also be on the field enough to catch at least 30 passes with double-digit scores. Based on this, Williams needs to gain about 1,200 combine yards to pay his ADP bills in 2026.


