Dallas Cowboys DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) will be limited in practice on Thursday because his shoulder is still bothering him. Lamb was held out of the team's unofficial walkthrough practice on Wednesday but will upgrade to limited for the first official practice of the week as the Cowboys prepare to face the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night in Week 14. The 25-year-old aggravated his shoulder injury in the Thanksgiving Day win over the division-rival New York Giants and finished with a disappointing 39 yards on only two receptions. It doesn't seem like Lamb is in much danger of missing Monday night's contest, but fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on his status over the next two days. If Lamb is available in Week 14, he'll be a must-start against one of the worst defenses in the league.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) is making progress from his head injury and took part in the team's unofficial walkthrough practice on Wednesday as they prepare for their Monday night battle against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 14. The Cowboys won't release their first official injury report for the week until Thursday, but it's a good sign that the 25-year-old is back on the field in any capacity after missing the last two games due to a concussion he suffered in the Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans. He'll need to completely pass through the league's concussion protocol and be cleared by an independent neurologist in order to play on Monday night, though, so Ferguson's Week 14 status remains up in the air, which makes life difficult for his fantasy managers. With Ferguson out the last two games, Luke Schoonmaker has stepped up with eight catches for 88 yards and a score on 10 targets.

According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas News, Dallas Cowboys wide receivers CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) and Brandin Cooks (knee) were not seen at practice on Wednesday. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to their initial status on the practice report on Thursday, as the Cowboys do not play until Monday evening. Lamb aggravated a previous shoulder injury during their Week 13 victory over the New York Giants, while Cooks returned from his seven-game absence this past weekend. Fantasy managers should not be overly concerned if both wideouts remain limited participants during the initial practice sessions of the week. Lamb should be viewed as a top-12 option on Monday evening, and Cooks as a lower-end flex facing a weak Cincinnati secondary.

The Athletic's Saad Yousuf does not believe that veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks will return to the team in 2025. Cooks is a strong presence in the locker room, but his production the last two seasons has fallen short of expectations as the No. 2 behind CeeDee Lamb. If the Cowboys also feel the same way about Cooks' future, they could give more playing time to rookie Ryan Flournoy and recent acquisition Jonathan Mingo for the rest of the season. Dallas sent a fourth-round draft pick to the Carolina Panthers for Mingo and might want to get a head start on evaluating him for their 2025 roster. The 31-year-old Cooks has six 1,000-yard seasons in his 11 NFL seasons, but he's slowed down the last two years in Dallas and has also played in only five games in 2024 due to injury. If the Cowboys move on from Cooks after this year, they could look to replace him with another veteran pass-catcher.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) should be expected to be ready for their Week 14 matchup on Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. Lamb was dealing with an AC joint injury earlier this month and reportedly reaggravated it during their Thanksgiving victory over the New York Giants. However, given that the Cowboys were leading throughout most of the second half, Lamb did not need to see the field as often. With an extra few days off, Machota noted that owner Jerry Jones expressed confidence regarding his star wideout's availability for Week 14. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status during next week's practices in case he faces a setback. Before missing most of the second half on Thursday, Lamb caught just two of his six targets for 39 yards.