Is Dak Prescott playing today vs. the Eagles? Latest news on Cowboys QB

The Dallas Cowboys face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 18 after both teams have already qualified for the playoffs. What is Dak Prescott’s status, how much will he play, and should you start him in your fantasy football lineups?

Update: Dak Prescott is active for the Cowboys Week 18 game against the Eagles. At halftime of the Chiefs-Broncos game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the intention was for Prescott to play in Week 18, but how much he would play was not certain.

Is Dak Prescott playing tonight vs. Philadelphia?

Earlier in the week, Prescott announced his desire to play on Saturday. Head coach Mike McCarthy toned that down slightly, stating to the media that they would “talk about that tomorrow.”

Dak will be active and likely will get a few drives, but it’s difficult to predict how much of the contest he will play. It feels like a risky decision to put him in the game for too long, especially when the Eagles have also already qualified for the playoffs.

Cowboys should be careful with Prescott

The Cowboys need to be extra careful with the Dak’s usage, especially when you consider the fact that left tackle Tyron Smith is out with COVID. Do you want to start your franchise QB in an almost meaningless Week 18 game, just for the chance at a higher seed?

Dallas currently sits fourth in the NFC. Given that they’ve locked up their division, they can’t fall any further below that. While they can attain a higher spot, they’d require some help. Dallas would need either the Cardinals, Buccaneers, or Rams to lose on Sunday in order to move up. All three of those teams enter Week 18 as favorites.

Dak Prescott’s fantasy outlook

Dak is ranked as the QB9 this season in standard fantasy football formats. He’s played all but one game, but his scoring has been a little irregular.

For example, between Weeks 13 and 15, Prescott’s highest fantasy point total was just 12 against the New Orleans Saints. He also managed a season-low 2.64 points in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

That said, Prescott did hit his season-high only two weeks ago against the Washington Football Team. Dak threw for 330 yards and 4 touchdowns, hitting 30+ fantasy points for the first time this year.

I’d advise against starting him tonight if you have alternative options. Aside from his up-and-down output, Prescott could be sat at any point in today’s game. With little on the line, the Cowboys don’t have much reason to risk Dak’s health.