Dallas Cowboys DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks (knee) was seen in the blue medical tent early Thursday during practice due to knee soreness. According to Nick Harris of the team's site, it is "not expected to be a major concern moving forward." With star wideout CeeDee Lamb missing time due to a contract holdout, the Cowboys' offense has been leaning on Cooks early and often in practice. While this does not appear to be a long-term issue, it is worth mentioning that Jalen Tolbert is the third wide receiver on Dallas' depth chart, and it's quite the falloff after that. If the eleventh-year wideout's knee does not improve quickly, expect the Cowboys to seek veteran help at the position. Cooks is Yahoo!'s WR59 in ADP and could be a nice value in an offense that should funnel targets to him, Lamb, and Jake Ferguson.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his contract with the organization. The two sides have reportedly had good conversation about a long term extension. The good news for Cowboys fans is that Prescott appears willing to play through the final year of his deal. The same cannot be said about fellow teammate CeeDee Lamb who is currently holding out for an extension. If the Cowboys extend Prescott it should lower his 2024 cap hit, which as a result should give the organization more money to get a deal done with Lamb. It's unlikely that the organization wants these issues to roll over into the regular season, so we'll see if anything happens over the next few weeks.

With Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb not at training camp due to a contract holdout, veteran Brandin Cooks continues to be quarterback Dak Prescott's top target. The two were on the same page again on Wednesday during a joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams. "He's having a hell of a camp," head coach Mike McCarthy said of Cooks. "I think we had a statistic last week that throughout every three catches that he's made in the team work has been either a touchdown or a big play. He's had a great offseason. He's always in peak condition. I really think, just in my time with him, he's at the top of his game." Things will change in the regular season when Lamb is in the fold, but Cooks shouldn't be ignored late in fantasy drafts now that Michael Gallup is gone. He's coming off back-to-back seasons under 700 receiving yards but could bounce back as Dallas' No. 2 in 2024.

Dallas Cowboys second-year running back Deuce Vaughn (hamstring) returned to the team's joint practice on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Rams after being sidelined two weeks with a hamstring injury. Vaughn had several opportunities to carry the ball and be a receiver. The former sixth-round pick in 2023 should see notable playing time in the preseason game this Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders. The 22-year-old is going to be a change-of-pace option, at best, in Dallas' backfield in 2024 and is currently listed behind Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman and Malik Davis on the team's RB depth chart. Vaughn was a preseason darling going into his rookie season but saw action in only seven games last year, rushing for 40 yards on 23 carries, adding seven receptions for 40 yards through the air.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (ankle) returned to full participation for Wednesday's joint practice with the Los Angeles Rams. Prescott has missed a couple days recently at training camp due to ankle soreness and was held out of the team's preseason opener on Sunday versus the Rams, but it's a non-issue and he should be 100 percent ready to go for the start of the 2024 regular season. It remains to be seen if Prescott and some of the team's starters will see action in the second preseason game this Saturday against the Las Vegas Raiders, but if he does, it likely won't be for more than a series or two. The 31-year-old is heading into his final season under contract in 2024 after a career year in 2023. Prescott is a QB1 in fantasy, but he's not an elite one because of the fact that he's not really a rushing threat.