Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that quarterback Cooper Rush will once again be the starter for the Week 12 matchup with the division-rival Washington Commanders on Sunday. However, there will be a package of plays for backup Trey Lance. The Cowboys have been blown out in back-to-back games in the two games that Rush has started, and McCarthy admitted himself that he regrets not getting Lance into the game late in the Monday night loss to the Houston Texans. Rush did throw for over 300 yards with a touchdown and interception in the loss to Houston on Monday, but there's a good chance Lance could be making starts under center for the Cowboys by season's end now that Dak Prescott (hamstring) is out for the year. Rush will be no better than a low-end QB2 in superflex leagues this Sunday against Washington.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said he's hoping the team will get wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) back for their Week 12 contest versus the division-rival Washington Commanders on Sunday. Cooks has been on Injured Reserve since Oct. 5 due to an infected right knee that required surgery. The fact that the Cowboys have yet to open the 31-year-old veteran's 21-day practice window before coming off IR makes us skeptical that we'll see Cooks on the field against the Commanders this weekend. And even if Cooks is activated from IR and is active on Sunday, we'd expect him to serve as more of Dallas' No. 3 receiver behind CeeDee Lamb and Jalen Tolbert in his first game back. Before his injury, Cooks had been a disappointing WR4/flex for fantasy managers, collecting nine catches for 91 yards and one touchdown. Things won't get any better with Cooper Rush at QB.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said after the 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday night that he regrets not giving quarterback Trey Lance an opportunity to run the offense late in the blowout. "I think the one thing I should have done at the end, and I just didn't do, was put Trey in there. I could've gotten him a series. That's one thing that I would second-guess myself on," McCarthy said. The former third overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 has barely played in the NFL but should get more opportunities down the stretch in 2024 in a lost season for the Cowboys with Dak Prescott (hamstring) done for the year. Lance, 24, went 4-for-6 for 21 yards and an interception late in the Week 10 blowout loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles. If Dallas gets spanked again in Week 12 by the Commanders, Lance should get some more action.

Newly acquired Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jonathan Mingo failed to catch a pass from four targets in a 34-10 loss to Houston on Monday. Dallas gave up a fourth-round pick in a trade with Carolina at the trade deadline, but couldn't get the second-year receiver involved at all against Houston. With quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) out for the season and the Dallas running game unable to muster much of anything, it's difficult to see the situation improving at all. At this stage, Mingo doesn't need to occupy a fantasy roster spot, even in deep leagues.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert caught just two of his five targets for 21 yards during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. The 25-year-old posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in four of his first eight games this year, initially giving him some low-end WR3/FLEX appeal. However, ever since Cooper Rush has taken over for Dak Prescott (hamstring), Tolbert has fallen off the fantasy radar. He continues to play north of 90 percent of the Cowboys' offensive snaps but has just five catches for 35 yards over his last two games combined. Tolbert can be benched in fantasy leagues with 14 teams or fewer.