Cowboys

Def/Spec Team

Brown has caught on quick to the slot duties, impressing the Dallas coaching staff. “He’s got instincts. You have to have awareness and instinct to do all that. He’s done a good job,” said DC Rod Marinelli. Brown will be tasked with stopping Green Bay wide receiver Randall Cobb this week, who had 108 yards on nine catches in Week 5. The Cowboys D/ST will not be a middling fantasy option on the road in Week 6.

In 24 targets, Claiborne has allowed nine catches for 90 yards and a 37.5 completion percentage from opposing quarterbacks. While Claiborne has held his own, the Dallas pass defense still ranks 23rd among NFL defenses through three weeks and has given up consecutive 300+ passing yard performances. The Cowboys D/ST will be a middling Week 4 fantasy option on the road at San Francisco.

Lee dealt with a knee injury over the summer and has had his share of injury issues in the past, but is now healthy after a strong Week 1 performance. “I felt good. I felt a lot better than I did after last year’s game,” Lee said. Dallas travels to Washington in Week 2 where the Cowboys D/ST won’t be a startable fantasy option.

Church is believed to have fractured his right forearm, while Claiborne is set to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his groin injury. Both players could be looking at extended absences, which will challenge the depth of the Dallas secondary. Despite the injuries, the Cowboys D/ST will be squarely in the streaming conversation for Week 9 in a matchup with Cleveland.

The Cowboys recovered an Adam Thielen fumble for their first forced turnover since Week 8. The Cowboys D/ST has managed to produce double-digit fantasy points just once in 2016 thanks to the lack of takeaways, although the group does have the second-best run defense in the league. Even on 10 days of rest, the Cowboys D/ST will be a middle-tier fantasy option Sunday night on the road in an NFC East battle against the New York Giants.

The announcement came on the heels of the Cowboys wrapping up the NFC’s number one seed after Philadelphia’s Week 16 win over the New York Giants. With Lawrence out, DE Randy Gregory will see playing time as he returns from suspension. The Dallas defensive front has been heating up recently, collecting 10 sacks over the last three weeks. The Cowboys D/ST will be a back-end top-12 fantasy option at home against Detroit in Week 16.

The Cowboys D/ST turned in two respectable fantasy performances since the bye thanks to a heavy dose of sacks, but the lack of turnovers has prevented this group from making a splash in the fantasy ranks. The Cowboys are tied for 27th among NFL defenses with just four interceptions on the season and are a back-end top-12 option in Week 11 at home against Baltimore.

Machota also noted that the “staff raves about his upside” when speaking of the fourth-year player. The Dallas coaching staff will hope to see some improvement from their pass rush, which registered just 28 sacks in 2014, good for 28th in the NFL. The Cowboys D/ST is not on the fantasy draft radar and will be a group to avoid in Week 1 as they face the New York Giants in a game with an over/under hovering above 50.

Freeman torched the Cowboys for 141 yards on 30 carries last week and also added 52 yards on five catches. While the offense of New Orleans hasn’t been very effective in 2015, they will get Drew Brees back in Week 4 and have multiple running backs who are capable of giving the Dallas defense problems. The Cowboys D/ST will not be a recommended fantasy options this week on the road.

With fellow DE Greg Hardy not eligible to return until Week 5, the Cowboys will miss their rookie pass rusher while he nurses his injured ankle. Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News even suggested that the absence of Gregory could be equally as critical for Dallas as the absence of Dez Bryant. With or without Gregory, the Dallas Cowboys D/ST was likely not going to be a Week 2 fantasy option as they face Philadelphia on the road.