New York Giants

Giants at Cowboys: 5 best fantasy options

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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A look at the five best fantasy options for the 2016 NFL Week 1 matchup featuring the Giants at Cowboys from AT&T Stadium.

Next: Fantasy Option No. 1

Oct 19, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray (29) runs with the ball against the New York Giants defense at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants defense

Despite looking downright awful in 2015, the New York Giants defense gets a fun assignment to start off the 2016 campaign. Rookie Dak Prescott will be making his first start. While it’s a home game for the rookie, the Giants will know exactly who to go after in order to make this their game.

Prescott is unproven, and despite being praised during the preseason, the regular season is a whole different ball game. He’ll quickly find out what the real pressure is like on the field now that he’s filling in for Tony Romo.

It will be interesting to see what sort of transition Prescott makes as he goes forth this season. Most defenses will realize they’ve got a rookie on the other side to target. Will he succeed or crumble under the pressure?

The same can be said for Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas’ rookie running back. He’s been highly touted as a fantasy stud before even registering his first regular season stats. He could have a nice game to start off a great career on Sunday, but again, this is a rookie in his first outing.

For the first-ever official game in their careers, expect some jitters and shaky play from the rookies. If one were to choose which rookie shines of the two, Elliott seems the wiser choice on the ground as Prescott could be trying to get rid of the ball to him a lot. That means the New York Giants defense is a rare start for any owners who might have it at their disposal.

Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) carries the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during a NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. The Seahawks defeated the Cowboys 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ezekiel Elliott

With no Tony Romo at the quarterback spot, the Cowboys offense will be in the hands of rookie Dak Prescott. He looked good in preseason, throwing for 454 yards and five touchdowns. However, he’ll be in his first official regular season game against the Giants on Sunday.

While Prescott could impress, fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott is the much better option to start for fantasy owners. Prescott will probably find himself handing off the ball quite a lot based on those first big-game jitters. That means Elliott will get to go to work.

Elliott was projected as the top rookie for this year’s fantasy football class, and was considered a great choice even before Tony Romo’s injury. With Romo out of the lineup and a rookie in his place, Elliott’s value has only risen.

Elliott is the top back due to Darren McFadden’s broken elbow suffered since late May. Now the rookie back will be taking on a Giants rushing defense which ranked No. 24 in the league last season.

The former Ohio State standout has shown himself to be very fast and could be on his way to some monster seasons ahead. The only thing right now with Elliott is that same question mark hanging over other rookies as to whether they’ll prove to be worthy or not. He certainly seems like a good gamble for owners while Romo’s off the field and for the first big game of his career.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 23: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Dez Bryant

Dez Bryant

Bryant had a pretty forgettable fantasy outing in 2015, when he was limited to just nine games due to injuries. When Bryant was healthy and playing, Tony Romo usually wasn’t out there with him. That will be the case on Sunday, but Bryant is poised to be one of the top choices for Prescott to pass to.

The two players worked well together during the preseason. In Week 2, Bryant had just two receptions but for nearly 50 yards with the rookie calling the plays on field. Despite last season’s rough outing, he’s still a fantasy stud who many owners couldn’t overlook this time around. He was ranked among the top 10 of all fantasy players on the draft board for many expert sites.

Bryant has achieved three straight regular seasons where he put up stats of at least 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns on 88 catches or more.

One concern is the fact that Bryant could still not be at full health to start the season. He is expected to play for this game after dealing with a concussion this preseason. He’ll be poised to regain status among the top fantasy receivers this season.

The Giants secondary allowed the third-most receptions in the NFL last season and were No. 7 in yards allowed. That could give Bryant some decent stats in this Week 1 matchup, as Dallas will be trying to keep up with Manning and the Giants.

Aug 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA;New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) throws the ball in the 2nd half at MetLife Stadium. New York Giants defeat the New York Jets 21-20. Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

Eli Manning

On one side of the field will be a rookie quarterback hoping to make a name for himself. On the other side, a proven veteran with a pair of Super Bowls to his name.

On Sunday, Manning will have one of the best receiving options in fantasy football on the field with Odell Beckham, Jr. He’ll also have another favorite back, as Victor Cruz made his first catch in nearly two years during the preseason.

In 2015, the Pro Bowl quarterback threw for the his third-highest total yardage of his career: 4,436 yards and 35 touchdowns on 387-of-618 completed passes. He also ranked among the top 10 quarterbacks last season in total yards, touchdowns, and average yards per game.

Dallas owned one of the better passing defenses in the league last season. However, Manning realizes this could be he and his team’s season to reclaim the division, thanks to the Romo injury. Don’t be surprised to see him perform well in this opening matchup to make a statement for the 2016-17 season.

Last season, Manning put up nine games with 20 fantasy points or more. He wasn’t necessarily an early quarterback selection in many leagues, but those owners who got him for the season ahead should enjoy solid stats once again. Give him a start on Sunday as he looks to put in some work against a division rival to start the season.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – AUGUST 27: Odell Beckham

Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham Jr. is considered among the top receivers for fantasy owners based on a fantastic 2015 season, when the Giants’ star receiver was ranked No. 2 behind only the Steelers’ Antonio Brown in most leagues.

Beckham Jr. compiled a total of 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns last year with 96 catches. That was an improvement upon a stellar rookie year and his upside seems to continue to trend upwards. He was among the most consistent of all fantasy players at any position achieving double digits in 11 of his 16 games.

On Sunday, he gets to start the season against a division rival with his veteran quarterback on the field. It’s the polar opposite of Dez Bryant who will be trying to make due with a rookie throwing him the ball. At least Beckham is quite familiar with the man who will be targeting him, even if Dallas is wise to the combo.

In the two games the teams played against one another last season, Beckham didn’t put up the best of numbers. However, Dallas’ defense also didn’t look so great this preseason. It could mean one of those breakout games for Odell Beckham Jr. for this Week 1 matchup.

Beckham had seven games last season where he recorded 100 or more yards receiving. He led the team as the top receiver in yards in nine of the games. Watch for Eli Manning to try to hit one of his favorite targets often as the Giants try to have a field day against a Cowboys team that seems in disarray to start the season.