On Saturday, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was a surprise addition to the injury report. What happened to Lamb, and will he be able to play in Week 11 when the Cowboys face the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football? Let’s examine the latest on his status.
What Is CeeDee Lamb’s Injury?
On Saturday, Lamb popped up on the injury report with a back issue.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy explained to reporters that it occurred during the team’s 7-on-7 work on Saturday afternoon.
Lamb was listed as a limited participant in Saturday’s practice.
This is a new injury, as Lamb didn’t appear on the Cowboys’ practice reports at any point throughout the week.
Lamb is now listed as questionable for Monday’s game against the Texans.
The Cowboys have had awful injury luck lately, as quarterback Dak Prescott underwent season-ending hamstring surgery this week, wide receiver Brandin Cooks is out with a knee infection, guard Zack Martin is questionable with a shoulder injury, cornerback DaRon Bland is out with a foot injury, DeMarcus Lawrence is still on IR with a foot injury, and star EDGE Micah Parsons recently missed four games with a high ankle sprain.
Is Lamb Playing in Week 11?
It remains to be seen if Lamb will play in Week 11. However, it’s worth noting that McCarthy downplayed the injury, describing it as “not of high concern,” and seemed optimistic that his star receiver would be available on Monday night.
Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy said CeeDee Lamb’s back issue was something that popped up during the team’s 7-on-7 work this afternoon.
McCarthy is “not of high concern” around Lamb’s availability on Monday night against Houston.#DallasCowboys
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) November 16, 2024
The fifth-year wide receiver has missed just one game in his career, all the way back in the 2021-22 season. Be sure to monitor the Cowboys’ injury report and check Lamb’s status on Monday evening to ensure he doesn’t experience any setbacks.
Unfortunately, since Dallas plays on Monday Night Football, that puts fantasy football managers in a tough position since they won’t have many options to pivot to if Lamb is a last-minute scratch.
How Might Lamb’s Absence Impact the Cowboys if Ruled Out?
This is a must-win game for the Cowboys, who are 3-6 and have a 1.4% chance to make the playoffs, according to PFN’s Playoff Predictor.
They will already be shorthanded due to the injuries mentioned above, so if Lamb is also sidelined, that’s a huge blow to this team. Last week, Dallas’ offense couldn’t get anything going with Cooper Rush under center, and that was with Lamb on the field. If they are also missing one of the NFL’s best wide receivers, it could be a long night against the Texans.
Last week, Lamb posted the fourth-worst game of his career in terms of production relative to expectation, minimum six targets (-55.9%).
From a fantasy standpoint, his value definitely takes a hit with Prescott out, but you’re still starting Lamb because he’s one of the top wide receivers in the league and can erupt for a ton of points at any time.
The Texans have allowed 10 receivers to clear 17 PPR points in a game this season, including four in the past three weeks (Josh Downs, Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams, and Amon-Ra St. Brown), so if Lamb is healthy, perhaps he has a big bounce-back week.
If he’s out, the Cowboys will rely on wide receivers Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, Jonathan Mingo, and KaVontae Turpin. It will be very hard to trust any Cowboys players from a fantasy perspective.