Ezekiel Elliott Fantasy Implications

Just because the Zeke suspension has created a quagmire doesn't mean you should stay out of it. There's opportunity here, just not where you might expect it after the court finally came down with the judgement to uphold Ezekiel Elliott's 6-game suspension. There are lots of moving parts so I'll break down what I think this means for the Cowboys moving forward.

Alfred Morris

Analysis

While Morris is listed as the #2 guy, nothing to date suggests he will suddenly get anything approaching Zeke's workload. His ypc looks great so far this year, but it's largely skewed towards a couple long runs, but a large number went for negative yardage. He has 0 receptions so far, which makes him more of an early-down/goalline banger. Even if he gets the bulk of the early-down and goalline work, his upside is severely capped especially in any format that awards points for receptions.

Darren McFadden

Analysis

McFadden resurrected his career with a 1,000 yard season in 2015 after failing to eclipse 750 yards and/or 3.5 ypc the three previous years. At 30 years old, he probably doesn't have a lot left in the tank, but he's a wildcard. We don't really know what he looks like or how he'll perform because he has yet to register a regular season carry so far this year after being a healthy scratch in all games this year. Supposedly, the healthy scratches were an effort to keep him fresh knowing a Zeke suspension was looming, but that seems a bit far-fetched. That being said, he's the only RB on the Cowboys roster with any sort of chops in the passing game so he will have a role going forward. He's risky, but if there is an RB that can provide RB1/RB2 fantasy potential, it's McFadden

Rod Smith

This is a guy that not many people will know about, but he's huge and strong. He's never had a large role in any offense going back to his college days, but his size/strength make for some eye-popping highlight plays. The problem is his lack of speed and agility. I'd expect him to get 5-6 touches and play something of a spoiler, but in a universe where Rob Kelley won the starting role in Washington, Smith could get the bulk of the carries if Morris and McFadden stink it up. While not likely, it is in the realm of possibility.

Ezekiel Elliott

Zeke's lawyers made a comment like they were going to put their heads together and come up with another plan. I have no idea why they wouldn't have already had a Plan B, C, and D already, but they need to get those billable hours I guess. If there's any chance they can pull something to delay the suspension, I think they'll do it. I'm no legal expert, but I'd say there's a 40% chance they figure something out within the next week to get Zeke on the field in Week-7 (They have a bye this week).

Dak Prescott

Dak's been playing great, which makes a significant change to the offense worrisome. Without the threat of Zeke, you have to figure defenses can scheme to take out the next best option which is Zeke. No one will be able to say for certain what will happen, but my guess is Dak will have to throw more in low-leverage spots (3rd and medium to long). The overall efficiency of the offense may go down, which will create less red-zone opportunities. I personally don't think a Zeke suspension will kill Dak's fantasy outlook, but I'd knock him down a notch.

Dez Bryant

Bryant has been really quiet this year, but he's faced top-notched CBs week after week so far. Between the matchups easing up for him and the potential for extra targets, I think Dez is the big winner.

Jason Witten

Old man Witten keeps getting it done. His usage dropped off considerably after coming out of the gates on fire through the first couple weeks, but if Dak does have to throw more between the 20's, you have to assume Witten will see some extra targets.

Fantasy Strategy

This situation is fools gold. You have a 50% chance picking the "right" RB and even if you do, the other two RBs will steal touches away. If that's not bad enough, there's still a good chance Zeke's legal team figures out a way to get him back on the field.

None of this means you can't use it to your own advantage though. I like the idea of trading for Dez Bryant. I would hold Zeke, Witten, and Prescott. If you can pick up McFadden or Morris for free, now that waivers have processed this week, do it now! I've picked up Morris and McFadden everywhere I can, but I have no intention of holding on to them. Someone is going to be desperate and RB in Week-7. Use Morris/McFadden as a bargaining chip to get a great fantasy asset. I'm not sure you'll get much for McFadden or Morris straight up, but if you add one of them to someone like Golden Tate, Larry Fitzgerald, Amari Cooper, or Pierre Garcon, you may be able to snag A.J. Green, Mark Ingram, Keenan Allen, Todd Gurley T.Y. Hilton, etc. Hopefully you can use one of these assets you got for free to make a trade offer more attractive.