Dallas Cowboys DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Dallas Cowboys second-year tight end Luke Schoonmaker is coming off of the most productive game of his career after Jake Ferguson (concussion) left early. Ferguson is trending towards missing Sunday's game against Washington, meaning Schoonmaker will likely again form a committee at tight end with rookie Brevyn Spann-Ford. With CeeDee Lamb (back, foot) also banged up and potentially missing the game, there will be plenty of targets to spread around against a mediocre Washington pass defense. Schoonmaker is a viable option at a thin tight end position amidst a plethora of bye weeks.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Tolbert has not had more than four receptions since Week 5 and has also only recorded one touchdown in that span, but the third-year receiver could be back on the fantasy radar on Sunday as the Cowboys take on the Washington Commanders. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (back, shoulder) is banged up and could miss the contest, while tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) is unlikely to play. Brandin Cooks (knee) is trending towards returning, meaning he and Tolbert could be the top two pass catchers for quarterback Cooper Rush on Sunday. Even if Lamb is ruled out, Tolbert remains a deep league dart throw given that it is unclear how the passing volume would shake out.

After missing practice all week, Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders (ankle) has officially been ruled out for Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Sanders said he's dealing with a severely sprained ankle that he suffered in the Week 10 loss to the New York Giants in Germany, which means he may not be ready to return for Week 13 to face the division-rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His fantasy stock is taking another hit with rookie Jonathon Brooks (knee) fully expected to make his NFL debut this weekend against the Chiefs after recovering from an ACL tear that he suffered in 2023 in his final collegiate season at Texas. Brooks will serve as the change-of-pace back behind starter Chuba Hubbard on Sunday and most likely for the rest of the 2024 season, relegating Sanders to the RB3 role whenever he recovers from his ankle injury.

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) did not take part in Thursday's practice. It's the second straight practice he has missed this week after suffering a concussion early in the Monday night loss to the Houston Texans in Week 11. The Cowboys said early this week that it's unlikely Ferguson will have enough time to clear the league's concussion protocol in time to play on Sunday against the division-rival Washington Commanders. The 25-year-old will most likely sit out Friday's session as well and be ruled out for this weekend. For those in dire need at the TE position in Week 12 with six teams on bye, Dallas' Luke Schoonmaker could be in play as a sleeper against Washington, a defense that allowed 12.7 half-PPR points per game to TEs the last three weeks. Schoonmaker had six catches for a season-high 56 yards on 10 targets against Houston on Monday after Ferguson was hurt.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (back) did not practice during Thursday's session, according to Joseph Hoyt of the DLLS Cowboys. This is not a good sign for the star wideout as he was a limited participant during Wednesday's initial session. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to Friday's injury report, as Lamb may carry an injury designation into the weekend. Lamb has been dealing with this lingering back injury for some time but was able to suit up on Monday evening to face the Houston Texans. In this game, Lamb brought in eight of his 12 targets for 93 yards. Even though the Dallas offense has struggled with Cooper Rush under center, fantasy managers should continue to start Lamb in all formats if he can play, as he should continue to see a heavy target share down the stretch.