Will Philadelphia's Saquon Barkley finish 2025 as fantasy's RB1? Will Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb justify that first-round fantasy selection? Will Cowboys overlord Jerry Jones's head explode all over the owner's box?
We'll find out soon enough, as the Dallas Cowboys open the season against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The NBC TNF game kicks off at 8:20 pm ET from Lincoln Financial Center in South Philly.
The Cowboys begin the season with a plethora of new faces, three of those being running backs, specifically former Bronco Javonte Williams, journeyman Miles Sanders, and rookie Texas Longhorn Jaydon Blue. As the Cowboys look to turn things around in 2025, they’ll need far more production from the running game than they had last season.
With a crowded backfield, the fantasy football question becomes, Who will start in Week 1?
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Is Javonte Williams the Cowboys' Starting RB?
The Cowboys brought in Javonte Williams to lead their backfield back to relevance, something they sorely need after the Rico Dowdle Era. As insurance, they inked Miles Sanders and drafted Jaydon Blue.
Williams wrapped up his Broncos tenure in a timeshare with RBs Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime. His 2024 stats were underwhelming, as he managed only 513 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns on 139 carries
Dallas Cowboys RB Depth Chart
- Javonte Williams
- Miles Sanders
- Jaydon Blue
Javonte Williams Fantasy Football Outlook
- 35.5 Rush Yards
- 0.5 Rush+Rec TDs
- 12.5 Receiving Yards
- 1.5 Receptions
- 50.5 Rush+Rec Yds
- 9 Fantasy Score
- 2.5 Rec Targets
- 10 Rush Attempts
- 10 Longest Rush
- 3.5 Quarters With 5+ Rush Yards
- 8.5 Longest Reception
- 3.6 Rush Yards Per Carry
- 18.5 Rush Yards in First 5 Attempts
- 3.5 Yards on First Rush Attempt
Javonte Williams is expected to handle the bulk of the work in Week 1. Dallas will mix in Sanders and Blue to keep Philadelphia’s front-seven off balance.
This is not a great matchup for any of the Cowboys’ RBs, as the Eagles have a stout run defense. In 2024, Philly boasted a top-ten run D, allowing just 104.2 rushing yards per game and 9 rushing TDs.
Fantasy managers should temper expectations for Williams and consider other options in Week 1 lineups.
Whether it’s Williams, Sanders, or Blue running the ball on opening day, PrizePicks makes it easy to play NFL DFS. Instead of sticking with the same Lineup, you can create a new one each week and win real money.
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