The Dallas Cowboys were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL in 2019, winning eight games and missing the playoffs entirely. Nonetheless, that's not the heavy talking point right now. Rather, it's Ezekiel Elliott Fantasy Football time.
While the Cowboys had a lot of issues this past year, running back Ezekiel Elliott was not one of them.
Elliott remained one of the top Fantasy Football halfbacks in the league, making his third Pro Bowl appearance in four seasons and representing a vital component of Dallas' offense.
The Cowboys haven't had a very busy offseason, but they have certainly improved, bringing in Mike McCarthy to replace Jason Garrett as head coach and stealing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in the first round of the draft.
How does that alter Elliot going into 2020?
Let's break down Zeke's fantasy football outlook for the coming season.
2019 Fantasy Football Recap
For the second straight year, Elliott was a top-five fantasy back in the NFL.
The Ohio State product finished fourth among running backs in total fantasy points and fifth in average points per week courtesy of racking up 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground while hauling in 54 receptions for 420 yards and a couple of scores.
And that was with the Cowboys' coaching staff in shambles and the club putting forth stinker after stinker throughout the second half of the season.
So, yeah; Elliott is pretty darn good.
Elliott totaled 355 touches in 2019, and for the third time since entering the NFL in 2016, he amassed over 300 carries (he probably would have done that in 2017 as well had it not been for his six-game suspension).
2020 Ezekiel Elliott Fantasy Football Outlook
Here is the thing about the Cowboys heading into 2020: their offense is pretty loaded.
Dak Prescott has established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in football and is knocking on the door of elite, and he has a phenomenal stable of wide outs that includes Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Lamb at his disposal. Blake Jarwin also isn't half-bad at tight end.
For that reason, you might expect Zeke's touches to dip a bit, especially under a new head coach in McCarthy. But Elliott's usage does drop, it probably won't drop much.
When you have one of the best halfbacks in football, you use him. Period. Elliott is integral to Dallas' offensive success, and let's remember that while the Cowboys changed head coaches, they left Kellen Moore in tact as offensive coordinator.
That means not much will likely change in the case of Elliott, who is a terrific all-around back who will serve not only as a reliable rusher, but also someone whom Prescott can depend upon on check-down throws.
Elliott is almost a guarantee to rattle of 1,000 rushing yards for the third straight season, and given his lifetime average of 4.6 yards per carry, he will definitely make the most of his attempts.
As far as how Zeke projects as a receiver out of the backfield, he'll probably have a similar year to the one he had in 2019. I'm not sure he'll have the opportunity to catch 77 passes like he did in 2018, but over 50 grabs seems like a probable outcome.
Basically, expect another incredibly productive campaign out of Elliott, health permitting. He is still just 25 years old and has only played about three-and-a-half seasons due to the 2017 suspension, so he should have plenty of juice left in the tank.
Rank at Position
While McCaffrey has become the gold standard for fantasy running backs, Elliott is not far behind.
I think of McCaffrey, Elliott and Saquon Barkley as the top three fantasy backs in football heading into 2020, so I do expect Elliott to finish somewhere in that range.
In 2019, he finished behind Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones, which I don't see happening this time around. While Henry is an outstanding rusher, he is not much of a receiver, catching just 15 passes in 2019. As for Jones? He has had difficulty staying healthy, and I just don't see him scoring 16 rushing touchdowns again.
McCaffrey and Barkley are almost certainly Elliott's biggest threats for running back supremacy, with guys like Henry, Nick Chubb and Dalvin Cook on the perimeter.
If history is any indication, Zeke will stay healthy and will once again represent a big-time producer this coming season, regardless of how loaded the Cowboys' offense is.
It would be fairly surprising to me if Elliott finishes outside of the top five. If that occurs, it probably means that he either got injured or someone surprising had a monster year (maybe Josh Jacobs or something).
You will certainly be safe taking Elliott very early in your draft with the expectation that he will be one of the truly elite halfbacks in the NFL in 2020.
Follow Us
Subscribe