The Dallas Cowboys will face the Houston Texans in Week 11. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Cowboys skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 11 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Cooper Rush, QB
Updated at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday, November 28
Rush is active for today's game.
Twice this season has a QB completed 10 passes while throwing for under 95 yards in a 25+ point loss:
- Cooper Rush (Week 10 vs. Eagles)
- Andy Dalton (Week 7 at Commanders)
Both of my siblings also have red hair, and they aren’t starting for your fantasy team. Am I ruling out all red-headed players from making a living in the NFL? No. Am I starting a redhead in 2024 as my fantasy QB? Also, no.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
Tyler Allgeier saw his role potentially vanish by struggling at the goal line during Week 10 and Ezekiel Elliott did him one better by fumbling away his opportunity to punch in a score.
The veteran back hasn’t cleared 10 rush attempts in a game this season and only has one reception since September, making him a pretty clear cut in all formats if he is still on the end of your roster for some reason. Elliott played just 21.4% of the snaps on Sunday, and by putting the ball on the ground for an offense that already has enough problems, that rate appears more likely to regress than progress in the coming weeks.
Rico Dowdle, RB
Ezekiel Elliott likely fumbled away his vulture duties last week, and that positions Rico Dowdle to rank as a fantasy starter every week, albeit a low-end one given the limitations of this offense under Cooper Rush. Mike McCarthy confirmed as much on Thursday:
There is no more running back by committee in Dallas. Mike McCarthy said Rico Dowdle is the Cowboys lead back: “Definitely, you have to get him the ball. That's my focus to continue to get him opportunities. He's the lead back.”
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) November 14, 2024
Dowdle is coming off his worst showing of the season in terms of production relative to expectations (-30.8%), and the upside is certainly capped with none of his 83 carries gaining 20 yards this season.
That said, volume isn’t easy to find this time of year, and Dowdle should at least offer that this week as Dallas attempts to keep Houston’s offense off the field.
Brandin Cooks, WR
Updated at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday, November 28
Cooks is active for today's game.
Brandin Cooks is a name you know, but that doesn’t mean he carries fantasy value. He’s nearing a return to action, but the veteran showed signs of decline last season and, in the four games prior to getting hurt, was averaging a repulsive 0.66 yards per route.
There’s health risk for Cooks, but even at full strength, I’m not sure he is in position to matter. I was ranking Jalen Tolbert ahead of him in September and now Jonathan Mingo is in the mix for an offense led by Cooper Rush.
Hard pass.
CeeDee Lamb, WR
Updated at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday, November 28
Lamb is active for today's game.
Surprise Injury Development – Saturday, November 16
Lamb was added to the injury report Saturday with a back injury and is listed as questionable for Monday’s contest against the Texans.
This is a significant development, given Lamb did not appear on the injury report at any point throughout the week. Given Lamb’s status as one of the best wide receivers in the league and his surprising injury development, fantasy managers should expect at least one more update before the games kick off on Sunday.
Head coach Mike McCarthy suggested he wasn’t worried about Lamb’s status. The All-Pro was added to the injury report Saturday with a back injury. “I’m not of high concern” about Monday’s status.
This is obviously encouraging, given Lamb’s status will bear the utmost importance being the final game of the Week 11 slate, but fantasy managers should still be looking for more information. The fifth-year wide receiver has missed just one game in his career, all the way back in the 2021-22 season.
Start/Sit Advice
In Cooper Rush’s first start of the season, CeeDee Lamb posted the fourth-worst game of his career in terms of production relative to expectation, minimum six targets (-55.9%).
Is the quarterback to blame? The lack of offensive balance? The sun?
I’m concerned about Lamb’s value moving forward, but there’s nothing actionable. You don’t have three receivers who will project better.
The Texans had 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).
I’ve docked Lamb in my rest-of-season rankings with this being the Rush show the rest of the way, but his raw talent is still enough to require you to start him weekly, and I still think there is a top-three upside in this profile.
Jalen Tolbert, WR
Trading a fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo was rumored to be a result of this organization being high on the 2023 second-round pick, but could it not also be read as a lack of confidence in Jalen Tolbert (a third-round pick the year before)?
Mingo wasn’t on the field last week, and that meant another strong snap share for Tolbert (94.6%). I don’t know about you, but my leagues don’t reward snaps. Tolbert posted his second straight game with under 20 receiving yards (45+ yards just twice this season). All signs for this offense as a whole are trending in the wrong direction and that, for me, rules out any hope of a WR2 emerging as a meaningful fantasy asset.
Jonathan Mingo, WR
On the surface, the Cowboys paying a DeAndre Hopkins price tag for Jonathan Mingo had my attention, but with Dak Prescott out and Cooper Rush needing 23 pass attempts to pick up — checks notes — 45 passing yards, my attention is gone.
Maybe Mingo is unlocked in some new fashion with him apparently atop Jerry Jones’ wish list, but even if you’re going to bet on that, it’s more of a play in 2025 than 2024. There isn’t a secondary receiver that needs to be on fantasy rosters in Dallas this week or for the remainder of the season.
Jake Ferguson, TE
Updated at 3:10 PM ET on Thursday, November 28
Ferguson is inactive for today's game.
I was as high as anyone on Jake Ferguson entering this season, and while my primary stance has proven accurate in that they don’t have a WR2, the third-year tight end has yet to step up. It seems unlikely to happen with Dak Prescott on the shelf.
I’m betting against all things volume-related in Dallas these days — nothing Cooper Rush did last week makes me think this team can sustain drives. If that’s going to be the case, you will need some chunk plays from Ferguson to produce top-12 numbers, and with 2.5 air yards on his Week 10 ledger, I’m not comfortable going there.
I don’t have any more confidence in Ferguson than I do in Tucker Kraft or Zach Ertz, and those two come with a path to a single valuable target that Dallas’ tight end doesn’t given the play under center.
Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys Trends
Houston Texans
Team: Houston started 2-0. Since then, they are 0-3 against the NFC North and 4-1 against the rest of the NFL (the only other loss was to a former NFC North QB in Aaron Rodgers).
QB: C.J. Stroud has the fifth lowest quick pass rate in the NFL, a clear design of this offense (seventh lowest rate a season ago)
Offense: The Texans rank 31st in offensive success rate this season (32nd: Browns).
Defense: Houston owns the fifth worst four quarter point differential this season -27, they were 10th best a season ago at +25).
Fantasy: Joe Mixon posted his worst boom/bust rate of the season on Sunday night (six carries that failed to gain yardage and none that gained 10-plus), with easily his lowest mark in terms of yards per carry after contact. Signs of fatigue for a 28-year old running back who has 24-plus rush attempts in four straight games?
Betting: The Texans are 1-10 ATS (9.1%) on longer than normal rest in their past 11 games.
Dallas Cowboys
Team: Only two teams have lost multiple games by 25-plus points this season – both the Cowboys and Panthers have three such losses.
QB: Rico Dowdle wasn’t much more than ordinary on Sunday against the Eagles (12 carries for 53 yards), and yet, he averaged more yards per carry than Cooper Rush averaged yards per completion (13 completions for 45 yards).
Offense: Through 10 weeks, 18% of Dallas drives end inf a turnover, a rate only topped by the Raiders.
Defense: Dallas has allowed a touchdown on 29.4% of opponent drives this season, a rate that is better than only Carolina.
Fantasy: In Cooper Rush’s first start of the season, CeeDee Lamb posted the fourth worst game of his career in terms of production relative to expectation, with a minimum of six targets (-55.9%).
Betting: The Cowboys are 11-3 ATS (78.6%) in their past 14 games when playing on extended rest.