Tony Romo Injury: Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Impact
Sep 20, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Joseph Randle (21) runs against Philadelphia Eagles strong safety Walter Thurmond (26) during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cowboys defeated the Eagles, 20-10. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Running Backs
Joseph Randle continues to see the majority of the team’s carries, but that certainly doesn’t make him a workhorse back. He’s had 67% of the running back carries through two weeks, but only has 22% of the running back receptions. If any of the team’s backs is going to find the end zone though, it will probably be Randle. Also, if he can return to the 4 yards per carry average he had in Week 1, he will have the potential to have a few games with some high rushing yardage totals.
McFadden has seen the second most carries among Cowboys running backs this season, and it’s certainly possible that will continue. However, if he continues to average under 3 yards per carry like he has so far this season, he may see his role diminish. There is little upside for McFadden as long as Randle is leading the running back committee.
Dunbar is certainly the team’s No. 1 receiving back. He lead Dallas in terms of receptions and yards in Week 1, and was third in yardage in Week 2. He’s second on the team in terms of running back total yards, and certainly has a chance to find the end zone every week. He’s also been returning kicks, and although we haven’t seen him break one for a score yet, that’s always a possibility. He’s only had 1 carry thus far though, and isn’t likely to see a drastic increase in that department.
With Romo out, the assumption would be that the team will rely even more on its running game than it would have anyway. We should see higher carry and yardage totals from each of these guys, Randle in particular. This offensive line is built to pound the football downfield, and Randle has the ability to do just that. If he can solidify his role as the No. 1 back and improve as a receiver, he has the best chance of any of these three guys to really dominate fantasy wise.
That being said, I expect Dunbar to continue to be the primary receiving back. With quarterbacks who have less experience or less talent, the tight ends and running backs are typically the primary beneficiaries. Weeden is likely to dump the ball off on short passes more often than Romo would have, and Dunbar has the ability to turn a few of these check-downs in to big plays.
As long as Weeden does not play terribly, both Randle and Dunbar should see increases in their usage, and that should lead to boosts in their fantasy value. It’s tough to rely too heavily on either of them though, as its unlikely either will ever receive the lion’s share of the running back workload.
Next: The Pass-Catchers