Fantasy Alert: Cowboys' Jake Ferguson 'Favorite' to Replace Dalton Schultz's Targets

The Dallas Cowboys will have a new look at tight end this season after Dalton Schultz signed with the Houston Texans this offseason. But Jake Ferguson is a name fantasy players should familiarize themselves with ahead of the season.

As The Athletic's Jon Machota wrote: "After the draft, the No. 1 tight end spot appeared like it would be a battle between Ferguson and second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker. But the rookie hasn't been practicing because of plantar fasciitis. Ferguson is the clear No. 1 and the favorite to get the majority of the targets that had gone to Schultz over the past three seasons."

That's particularly notable because Schultz received 89 targets in both 2020 and 2022 and a career-high 104 targets in 2021. The result was 63 catches for 615 yards and four touchdowns in 2020, career highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (808) and touchdowns (eight in 2021) and 57 catches for 577 yards and five scores last season.

Ferguson, 24, was only targeted 22 times as a rookie, catching 19 passes for 174 yards and two scores. But he's the frontrunner to serve as the TE1.

A few things to consider, however.

For one, Schoonmaker looms once he's healthy. The Cowboys activated him from the non-football injury list on Monday, per ESPN's Todd Archer:

Additionally, the Cowboys added Brandin Cooks this offseason, giving them a legitimate No. 2 receiver. If Michael Gallup has a bounce-back season, the Cowboys will have a nasty top three at wide receiver that should eat up a ton of targets.

Granted, Dallas is expected to throw the ball a lot more this season, which means plenty of targets may still trickle down to Ferguson.

"Look at our personnel," a Cowboys official told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Do we look like we're built to be a run-first team?"

But there are enough questions surrounding the relatively unproven Ferguson to make him a risky bet as your TE1. Draft him as a backup option with the potential to become a starter for you at some point down the line.