Cowboys vs. 49ers Picks, Lineup Tips for Daily Fantasy DraftKings for SNF
The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys renew their legendary rivalry on Sunday night in the most highly anticipated battle of Week 5.
The outcome will also shed some additional light on the NFC title race early into the 2023 season. The 49ers topped Bleacher Report's NFL power rankings heading into the week thanks to a 4-0 start, while the 3-1 Cowboys came in at No. 5.
For those planning to set up a daily fantasy squad for Sunday Night Football, here are some pieces of advice.
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General DFS Tips for TNF
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Two of the NFL's best defenses will go toe to toe at Levi's Stadium.
The Cowboys are second in yards allowed (259.8 per game) and first in scoring defense (10.3 points). They've also intercepted seven passes, which trails only the Buffalo Bills, and forced three fumbles.
The 49ers have been nearly as dominant, allowing 284.3 yards and 14.5 points per game. Perhaps those numbers have been somewhat skewed by facing off against three offenses (Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals) that vary between middling and just plain bad.
Because of how good these defenses are, nailing your DFS picks is even more critical.
At quarterback, Dak Prescott is the stronger of the two options on offer. Opposing quarterbacks are completing 65.7 percent of their passes and averaging 218.3 yards per game through the air against San Francisco. The Niners are also 25th in fantasy points allowed to QBs, per FantasyPros.
Spinning off that, Michael Gallup might be a good alternative if CeeDee Lamb is too pricy. Gallup got 13 combined targets over the past two games compared to four targets between Weeks 1 and 2.
On the other sideline, Deebo Samuel presents a buyer-beware situation. He had a minimal impact in San Francisco's 35-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported he's still not at 100 percent while he deals with a lingering knee issue.
Go Big on Christian McCaffrey
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Putting Christian McCaffrey on your squad will require a princely sum, but it should be worth it.
McCaffrey went past the century mark on the ground in three of the Niners' first four games, and he was leading the NFL in carries (80), rushing yards (459) and rushing touchdowns (six) entering Week 5. His 600 yards from scrimmage were pacing the league as well.
Now that he's fully integrated into San Francisco's offense, the 2019 All-Pro is demonstrating why fans were so excited about his trade to the Bay Area in the first place.
McCaffrey's production might tail off slightly at some point, but he should put up good numbers against Dallas. The Cowboys are giving up 111.8 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry. The latter is the sixth-highest average in the NFL.
And if the Niners aren't having success on the ground, you'd trust head coach Kyle Shanahan to get McCaffrey involved in other ways.
Jake Ferguson Should Be a Safe Play
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Four games into the season, Jake Ferguson has nearly eclipsed his entire output as a rookie in 2022. He has caught 17 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown.
The second-year tight end has been targeted seven times on three different occasions, quickly emerging as a preferred secondary option for Prescott. Entering Week 5, he was one of the most attractive waiver-wire adds at his position in standard fantasy leagues.
According to FantasyPros, the 49ers have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends on average.
To say San Francisco is a favorable matchup for Ferguson would obviously be a stretch, but it isn't one where the deck is stacked against him, either. Should this contest become a defensive struggle, Prescott may be looking frequently to his tight end to move the sticks.
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