The Cowboys did exactly what they needed to do to win last night. They controlled the clock, thanks in large part to Ezekiel Elliott's 29 touches (just off yesterday's 30+ prediction). And they kept their defense off the field, remaining on offense for an incredible 36 minutes and 53 minutes. Remember, the Saints entered Week 13 with far-and-away the highest time-of-possession mark in the league.
The Saints' loss gives the Rams a huge boost in their quest for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Cowboys' win -- their fourth straight -- brings them a bit closer to a divisional title that seemed unlikely a month ago.
Fantasy-wise, there's not much to say about yesterday. Alvin Kamara led all Saints with 15 points -- nearly 10 points off his season average -- followed by Keith Kirkwood's 10. In other words, unless you streamed Kirkwood (available in 99.6% of ESPN leagues), you didn't get your money's worth on that side of the ball. Drew Brees was particularly disappointing for those who'd been riding the #2 fantasy QB all year. He'll fall to #5 or #6 by the close of Week 13. He now has three sub-10-point performances on the year. QBs with more than three? Derek Carr, Case Keenum, Marcus Mariota, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Brock Osweiler. All three of Brees' collapses have come on the road. In his past five away games he's averaged only 13.7 fantasy points. Keep an eye on his Week 15 matchup in Carolina, where Brees won't be a great bet for top-8 production.
On the flip side, Zeke dominated despite getting stopped at the line on a number of carries. He could have had a monster day if 15 more seconds had been on the clock when Dallas had it at the Saints' 1 just inside the final two minutes. Instead of kneeling, Dallas would have surely turned to Zeke to pound it in. Instead, fantasy managers like me had to "settle" for a solid RB1 night.
And the perennially criticized Amari Cooper merits a mention. Since arriving in Dallas Week 9 he's earned 88.4 fantasy points. Over 16 games that would put him on pace for 282.9 points -- which last year would have made him the #4 fantasy WR. He's caught 16 of 17 targets the past two games. His 73.2% catch rate places him 12th among all NFL wideouts this season. And he's dropped only three passes all year (and yes, last night's fumble wasn't helpful). This is not the bumbling train wreck some make him out to be. He's one of the highest-upside receivers around, and it hasn't helped that Derek Carr's been throwing to him most weeks.
I definitely deserve criticism for going out on a major limb this summer, ranking Amari as the 8th best WR. Some of you have gotten burned by that call, snagging him in the second or third round. But I want to be clear: there was logic in that seemingly crazy prediction, and we're seeing more evidence that Amari's becoming a weekly fantasy starter. He's missed almost two games this year (he was knocked out in the early second quarter Week 6 and also sat the following week). So he's amassed 145.3 points in 10 contests. Over a full season that would have made him a low-end WR1 last year. In this year's high-powered NFL, he'd be hovering just inside the top 20.
Also consider Oakland's bottom-3 offense. As we've seen, it's been hard for anyone to shine there. Cooper's usage and production have climbed since arriving in Dallas. It's fair to suppose that in his final four games against the Eagles, Colts, Bucs, and Giants, Amari will be a WR2+. The key to his success, in part, is how much Dallas paid to get him. They need him to be their #1 receiver. Unlike in Oakland, he'll be a prominent part of the passing game every week.
All of this comes down to a simple conclusion: his metrics and future production are far better than most give him credit for. I still believe he will help some of you win a title. If he doesn't, I'd welcome your consternation.
The Saints' loss gives the Rams a huge boost in their quest for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Cowboys' win -- their fourth straight -- brings them a bit closer to a divisional title that seemed unlikely a month ago.
Fantasy-wise, there's not much to say about yesterday. Alvin Kamara led all Saints with 15 points -- nearly 10 points off his season average -- followed by Keith Kirkwood's 10. In other words, unless you streamed Kirkwood (available in 99.6% of ESPN leagues), you didn't get your money's worth on that side of the ball. Drew Brees was particularly disappointing for those who'd been riding the #2 fantasy QB all year. He'll fall to #5 or #6 by the close of Week 13. He now has three sub-10-point performances on the year. QBs with more than three? Derek Carr, Case Keenum, Marcus Mariota, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Brock Osweiler. All three of Brees' collapses have come on the road. In his past five away games he's averaged only 13.7 fantasy points. Keep an eye on his Week 15 matchup in Carolina, where Brees won't be a great bet for top-8 production.
On the flip side, Zeke dominated despite getting stopped at the line on a number of carries. He could have had a monster day if 15 more seconds had been on the clock when Dallas had it at the Saints' 1 just inside the final two minutes. Instead of kneeling, Dallas would have surely turned to Zeke to pound it in. Instead, fantasy managers like me had to "settle" for a solid RB1 night.
And the perennially criticized Amari Cooper merits a mention. Since arriving in Dallas Week 9 he's earned 88.4 fantasy points. Over 16 games that would put him on pace for 282.9 points -- which last year would have made him the #4 fantasy WR. He's caught 16 of 17 targets the past two games. His 73.2% catch rate places him 12th among all NFL wideouts this season. And he's dropped only three passes all year (and yes, last night's fumble wasn't helpful). This is not the bumbling train wreck some make him out to be. He's one of the highest-upside receivers around, and it hasn't helped that Derek Carr's been throwing to him most weeks.
I definitely deserve criticism for going out on a major limb this summer, ranking Amari as the 8th best WR. Some of you have gotten burned by that call, snagging him in the second or third round. But I want to be clear: there was logic in that seemingly crazy prediction, and we're seeing more evidence that Amari's becoming a weekly fantasy starter. He's missed almost two games this year (he was knocked out in the early second quarter Week 6 and also sat the following week). So he's amassed 145.3 points in 10 contests. Over a full season that would have made him a low-end WR1 last year. In this year's high-powered NFL, he'd be hovering just inside the top 20.
Also consider Oakland's bottom-3 offense. As we've seen, it's been hard for anyone to shine there. Cooper's usage and production have climbed since arriving in Dallas. It's fair to suppose that in his final four games against the Eagles, Colts, Bucs, and Giants, Amari will be a WR2+. The key to his success, in part, is how much Dallas paid to get him. They need him to be their #1 receiver. Unlike in Oakland, he'll be a prominent part of the passing game every week.
All of this comes down to a simple conclusion: his metrics and future production are far better than most give him credit for. I still believe he will help some of you win a title. If he doesn't, I'd welcome your consternation.