The 2021 season was a comeback year for Dak Prescott. Following a major in-game ankle injury, which limited him to only five games in the previous season, the Dallas Cowboys trusted in his potential and gave him a four-year extension worth $160 million.
In 16 games, the quarterback had 4,449 passing yards for a career-high 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions. He also had a career-best 68.8% passing completion rate.
The team ended up winning the NFC East, their first division win since 2018. In the postseason, the Cowboys lost in the Wild Card round against the San Francisco 49ers in a heartbreaking final drive as Prescott failed to spike the bowl as the clock expired. Dallas was down 23-17 with the ball in the 24-yard line following a questionable quarterback run up the middle.
But after a year of experiencing the game again, Prescott should be ready for an even better season without worrying about a injury.
With that being said, here is the fantasy football outlook for Dak Prescott in the 2022 NFL season.
Dak Prescott 2022 Fantasy Football Outlook
The Cowboys had a pretty eventful offseason, but most of it was for worse.
They lost Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns, who tied for most receiving touchdowns on the team. Additionally, he had 865 yards and averaged 12.7 yards per catch. The team also let Cedrick Wilson Jr. walk in free agency and join the Miami Dolphins. Wilson had career-highs in receiving yards with 602, six touchdowns and 45 receptions.
Dallas also lost some key pieces in the offensive line with La'el Collins and Connor Williams going to the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins, respectively. Without them, Prescott loses the quality protection he had in the previous seasons and should have some extra challenges when trying to get quality passes off. In 2021, he had 30 sacks for a loss of 144 yards, the latter being just one yard short of a career-best in seasons he played most of the games.
Dallas also has a question mark surrounding Michael Gallup. The wide receiver suffered a torn ACL on a touchdown, and there is still no definitive answer on when he will be back.
If the passing game might have taken a hit with all the changes, Dak Prescott's quality running game should be back. Last year, the former Mississippi State Bulldog had career-lows in rush attempts with 48, rushing yards with 146, and touchdowns on the ground with just one, when not considering his 2020 injury-plagued season. Most of it was due to preserving his legs and body following his previously fractured ankle.
In his best rushing year, Prescott had 357 yards and six scores. In 2018, he had the most rush attempts of his career with 75. With him losing quality catchers in free agency and the uncertainty surrounding Gallup, relying more on runs could be a short-term solution for the Cowboys' offensive scheme, and Prescott should be a big part of it.
Additionally, another thing that could help Prescott and Dallas to get into rhythm is the strength of their schedule. The Cowboys have the easiest schedule out of all 32 teams, tied with the Washington Commanders, according to CBS Sports. A start of the season with impactful wins could give the team some extra motivation despite all the changes on the field, plus giving Dak Prescott and the starters some rest depending on how easy the games could be.
Overall, fans should have many reasons to believe Prescott will have a big year and should finish as a top 10 quarterback in the league. He should be a solid selection for teams that rather build around the other positions prior to the playmaking one, and he should be available around the seventh round in most traditional fantasy football league formats.
Follow Us
Subscribe