Dallas Cowboys
Dallas is a low-end, matchup-only D/ST this season: the pass defense is widely panned, and the only case for it rests on opponents who are weak or short-handed.
Role
This is a team defense unit with no individual snap or target shares. Reported Week 8 matchup is home vs. Arizona (Jacoby Brissett at QB), and Week 9 is at Indianapolis per the FantasyPros game log. Dallas won 38-21 at Philadelphia in Week 7, when the Eagles started a backup QB. LB DeMarvion Overshown had an interception in his second outing of the season, and DE Arron Mosby had one vs. Green Bay on Oct. 18. I did not read a depth chart, so I make no claim about starters.
RotoBaller's streaming column says there is more talent here than the results show. It likes the Week 8 spot because Brissett averages 5.7 yards per attempt, has six interceptions through six games and has been sacked 12 times. Rankers also expect Dallas's offense to score heavily against Arizona, which could push the Cardinals into passing situations. Overshown's return and a Mosby interception are cited as encouraging signs.
RotoBaller says Dallas is last in EPA/play and has averaged 2.0 fantasy points per game, never topping 5 in a game (that column was published about five days ago, before Week 7). Lindy's Sports calls the pass defense decrepit and puts it second-worst in pass success rate (52.4%) entering Week 7. Sportsnaut ranks Dallas 32nd for Week 8, and Bleacher Report calls the defense non-existent in Week 8. The Eagles also stayed competitive for about three quarters with a backup QB. FantasyPros shows a -2 actual score for Week 8 against a 5-point projection.
Where analysts split
The split is whether a soft opponent can lift a defense that is bad on a per-play basis. RotoBaller ranks Dallas 16th and calls it a sneaky stream vs. Arizona, while Sportsnaut has it 32nd and SI has it 21st. The Arizona matchup is the same for both sides. The disagreement is about how much weight the matchup deserves against Dallas's own poor pressure and turnover numbers.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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