Dallas Cowboys DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

The Dallas Cowboys opened running back Brandin Cooks' (knee) 21-day practice window on Wednesday to return from Injured Reserve. Head coach Mike McCarthy said on Tuesday that the team is hoping to get Cooks back for their Week 12 divisional tilt this Sunday against the Washington Commanders. The 31-year-old veteran has been out since Sept. 26 due to an infected right knee that required surgery, so even though his practice window has opened, he's not a lock to return this weekend. Cooks is going to need to prove to Dallas in practice this week that he's ready to roll. Even if he is cleared to play against Washington on Sunday, fantasy managers would be wise to avoid him in starting lineups with quarterback Cooper Rush now leading the offense. Cooks caught nine passes for 91 yards and one touchdown in four games before his injury.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion) "will be hard-pressed" to play on Sunday against the division-rival Washington Commanders in Week 12 after suffering a concussion early in Monday night's blowout loss to the Houston Texans. Ferguson was quickly ruled out in Week 11 and will struggle to gain clearance from the league's concussion protocol on a short week. The 25-year-old deserves to be kept on fantasy rosters through his injury, but those in need of a TE with six teams on bye this week may want to look at Ferguson's replacement, Luke Schoonmaker. The 26-year-old ended up playing 43 offensive snaps on Monday after Ferguson was hurt and hauled in six of 10 targets for 56 yards. Schoonmaker will be a TE2 sleeper/streamer if Ferguson is ruled out for Week 12, as expected.

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.