There is a lot of unknowns entering this Thursday night football matchup. Taysom Hill is getting his first start of the year, for a struggling Saints team that is searching for an identity. The Cowboys are on the road with both their star receivers back, but can they overcome the roller coaster of performance issues that have held them back from a true championship run?
-Ball 'Em-
QB Dak Prescott, DAL
WR Ceedee Lamb, DAL
RB Ezekiel Elliott, DAL
TE Dalton Schultz, DAL
-Flex Plays-
WR Michael Gallup, DAL
RB Tony Pollard, DAL
RB Mark Ingram III, NO
-Hot Play-
QB Taysom Hill, NO
Dallas D/ST
-Bench 'Em-
WR Amari Cooper, DAL
WR Marquez Callaway, NO
RB Tony Jones Jr, NO
WR Tre'Quan Smith
WR Deonte Harris
The New Orleans defense, and the Dallas defense, are impossible to predict in 2021. At times they look unstoppable, and others they are getting embarrassed by the Broncos. With that in mind, Prescott and Lamb are must-starts, and despite New Orleans being the best defense against running backs this season, Zeke is likely a must-start for you as well. Elliott only had nine carries in each of the last two games, but he also caught six balls in each outing as well. Dalton Schultz is an every-week starter at this point.
At the flex level, the return of Amari Cooper should mean lighter coverage on Michael Gallup, giving him flex value on the outside opposite the veteran in a pass-heavy offense. Cedric Wilson is out, meaning Gallup will see even more snaps than a WR3 does on average. Tony Pollard has become a larger part of the Dallas scheme, and in matchups where the defense can stuff the run he becomes a versatile tool for Prescott. Mark Ingram III will get the load tonight with Alvin Kamara ruled out yet again, but this doesn't make him an automatic week winner as he was a few games ago. Taysom Hill's main value lies with his legs, and if the QB steals the red zone work Ingram III is flex ceiling at best.
In the world of streaming quarterbacks, Taysom Hill is an intriguing choice for week 13. Last season, Hill averaged 24 points per start in his four games, largely due to his success on the ground. This team isn't quite the same, and Dallas will be able to flush him out of the pocket fairly effectively, and often. What he does after that will determine if Hill can be a fantasy mainstay for the rest of the year. Dallas gave up 20+ to both Teddy Bridgewater and Derek Carr...but in-between, they held Pat Mahomes to 7.5. It kind of depends on what Dallas D shows up.
As for the Bench 'Em list, Amari Cooper coming off a rough bout of CoVid doesn't make me think his year is suddenly going to kick into high gear. He will see targets go his way, but Cooper has been a 50/50 starter in the weeks he has played, going under 10 in five games while over 10 in four. With how well Gallup has played in his absence, I'm not ready to thrust Cooper back out there on a Thursday night. Marquez Callaway, Tre'Quan Smith, and Deonte Harris have completely fallen off the map as reliable fantasy flexes, and shouldn't be trusted on a short week with a new QB (who isn't known for his arm accuracy).
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