The Dallas Cowboys season went from bad to worse Monday when it was reported that quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to miss multiple weeks with the hamstring injury that knocked him out of the Week 9 loss at Atlanta. Prescott is seeking a second opinion to confirm treatment options, per multiple reports, but he isn't expected to play any time soon.
Fantasy Football managers in redraft leagues can drop Prescott unless you want to wait for him to potentially go on injured reserve. When healthy, Prescott was having a down season at 17.3 Fantasy points per game, and he only topped 20 points three times and none since Week 5.
Cooper Rush is expected to take over as the starting quarterback, but Trey Lance is also on the roster. Neither quarterback is worth rostering in one-quarterback leagues, but you should add Rush and potentially Lance in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
Rush (1 percent rostered on CBS Sports leagues) has seen action in two games this season. He was 8-of-11 passing for 46 yards with an interception and 2 rushing yards in Week 6 against Detroit in relief of Prescott in the fourth quarter of a blowout loss. And he was 13-of-25 passing for 115 yards and a touchdown and 4 rushing yards against the Falcons in Week 9.
Lance (1 percent rostered) has yet to play this season, but the Cowboys may give him a chance to start while Prescott is out to see what he can do. The former No. 3 overall pick by the 49ers in 2021, Lance probably has more upside than Rush. But he's struggled when given a chance to play, and the Cowboys might opt to keep Rush as the starter as they cling to slim playoff hopes despite being 3-5.
With Prescott out, this is a downgrade for CeeDee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, Jalen Tolbert and Rico Dowdle. Lamb is still worth starting in all leagues, but he goes from a top-five Fantasy receiver to a No. 2 option in Week 10 against Philadelphia. He injured his shoulder in Week 9 at Atlanta, but the injury is not considered serious, per ESPN. Lamb finished the game against the Falcons with eight catches for 47 yards on 12 targets while adding two rushing attempts for 15 yards and catching a two-point conversion.
Lamb will continue to get targets without Prescott, but the quality of target isn't expected to be as good. And since he's less than 100 percent with his shoulder, his value is on the decline. That said, this is a good time to try and trade for Lamb in your Fantasy league, especially if the Lamb manager is desperate for help and could use multiple starters.
Hopefully, Prescott can return at 100 percent in time for the Fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17), and Lamb can still produce at a high level when it counts. There's also the chance Rush can surprise us and still keep Lamb playing at a high level.
Ferguson has been a borderline starter in all leagues this season, and he had seven catches for 71 yards on 10 targets in Week 9 for 14.1 PPR points. That was the fourth time this season he scored at least 11.9 PPR points but first since Week 5.
Like Lamb, Ferguson's Fantasy value is downgraded without Prescott, and Ferguson has a tough upcoming schedule against Philadelphia in Week 10 and Houston in Week 11. You can also try to trade for Ferguson with the hope Prescott returns for the Fantasy playoffs, and we'll see how he performs with Rush in the near future.
Tolbert caught a touchdown from Rush against the Falcons and finished the game with three catches for 19 yards on six targets. But until we see Rush and Tolbert have a strong connection on a consistent basis, you can leave Tolbert on the waiver wire. He's rostered in 59 percent of leagues on CBS Sports.
Dowdle just had his best game of the season in Week 9 with 12 carries for 75 yards and five catches for 32 yards and a touchdown on six targets. He's now scored at least 13.1 PPR points in three of his past four games, and he has 10 catches on 12 targets in his past two outings.
I still like Dowdle as a borderline starter in all leagues even with Prescott out, and hopefully the Cowboys lean on Dowdle, especially with Ezekiel Elliott being inactive in Week 9. Dowdle has a tough matchup against the Eagles in Week 10, but he can still be used as a flex, especially if Rush leans on him in the passing game.
The Cowboys were having a rough season before Prescott got hurt. Now, they have to survive without Prescott, and everyone in Dallas is expected to suffer.