Fantasy Football Week 14: Complete Thursday Night Preview
This Thursday football thing has suddenly become a habit for both the Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears.
Not really. But it’s interesting to note that both teams played one week ago on Thanksgiving as part of the NFL’s holiday tripleheader.
It’s safe to say neither of these teams enjoyed Thanksgiving. The Bears led by 11 points and wound up losing by 17 to the Detroit Lions (34-17). The Cowboys were humbled at home by the hungry Philadelphia Eagles, 33-10.
It was a great day fantasy-wise...for both of these teams' opponents. Just ask the owners of Calvin Johnson and LeSean McCoy.
So who will wind up coming up big in this prime-time game that doesn’t figure to see a lot of defense?
The answer is...
Starting Quarterbacks
1 of 8
Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo
It’s been a solid season for the Cowboys’ much-maligned quarterback, although he and his team come off a forgettable Thanksgiving Day performance.
Last Thursday, Romo threw for 199 yards and zero touchdowns. He was picked off twice and sacked four times. The performance snapped a streak of 38 consecutive games in which Romo had thrown for at least one score.
Still, despite the fact that he’s thrown for 300-plus yards just once in 11 games this season, the Dallas signal-caller has totaled 22 scores with two or more touchdown tosses in seven of his last nine games.
Fantasy Prediction: 26-of-33, 306 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. 2 carries, 2 yards, 0 TD.
Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler
Thanksgiving Day in Detroit kind of summed up the season the Bears quarterback has had to date.
Cutler led his team to a 14-3 first-quarter lead thanks to a pair of touchdown tosses to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. By afternoon’s end, Chicago was on the wrong end of a 34-17 score after the strong-armed performer threw two interceptions.
This season, Cutler has thrown 10 more touchdown passes (24) than interceptions (14) but has also lost six fumbles. While he’s thrown for two or more scores in eight games, he’s also served up at least two interceptions in six contests.
In his last four games, the nine-year quarterback has thrown for seven scores but has been picked off twice in three of those outings.
Fantasy Prediction: 31-of-40, 354 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT. 3 carries, 14 yards, 0 TD.
Running Backs
2 of 8
Dallas Cowboys Starter: DeMarco Murray
The NFL’s rushing leader in 2014 has totaled 1,427 yards on the ground and reached the century mark in 10 out of 12 games this season. Murray has averaged 5.0 yards per carry and run for eight scores.
While he hasn’t scored as a pass-catcher, the four-year pro is tied for second on the team with 44 receptions, good for 343 yards.
Of course, it’s also worth noting that Murray is coming off a season-low 73 yards rushing in the loss to the Eagles.
Fantasy Prediction: 24 carries, 125 yards, 2 TD. 4 receptions, 29 yards, 0 TD.
Dallas Cowboys Backup: Lance Dunbar
Because of his ability to catch passes and some issues regarding Joseph Randle, Dunbar is the main reserve behind Murray these days.
While the third-year performer has run for 69 yards on just 21 carries this season, he’s totaled 201 yards on 15 receptions. He could come in handy Thursday night on screens if the Bears defense is a bit too aggressive.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 carries, 23 yards, 0 TD. 2 receptions, 25 yards, 0 TD.
Chicago Bears Starter: Matt Forte
The versatile running back has rushed for 828 yards and five touchdowns this season, running for 100-plus yards in two of his last five outings. However, he is coming off a five-carry, six-yard outing in the Turkey Day loss at Detroit.
Forte leads all NFL running backs in 2014 with 78 catches, totaling five or more receptions in 11 out of 12 contests. Only Dallas’ DeMarco Murray (1,770) and Pittsburgh’s Le’Veon Bell (1,689) have totaled more yards from scrimmage than Forte (1,478) this year.
On Thursday night, he takes aim at a Dallas rushing defense that is ranked 22th in the NFL.
Fantasy Prediction: 19 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD. 9 receptions, 83 yards, 1 TD.
Chicago Bears Backup: Ka’Deem Carey
When you are having the kind of season that Forte is enjoying, you have to figure that the backup hasn’t seen a lot of action.
Carey has totaled 154 yards rushing on 35 attempts this season without a touchdown. Almost half of those yards (72) came way back in Week 4 vs. the Green Bay Packers. He’s caught just two passes for 18 yards this season.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 carries, 6 yards, 0 TD. 0 receptions.
Wide Receivers
3 of 8
Dallas Cowboys: Dez Bryant
After scoring six touchdowns in a four-game span, Bryant was held out of the end zone in last Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The explosive performer still leads Dallas with 67 receptions for 972 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s scored at least once in eight of his dozen appearances this season and will look to make amends for an off-game last week.
Fantasy Prediction: 11 receptions, 149 yards, 3 TD.
Dallas Cowboys: Terrance Williams
It’s been a tale of two seasons for the wideout who came up with his share of big plays earlier this season but whose production has tailed off for any number of reasons.
Williams has totaled only five catches for 75 yards in his last four outings. In his first eight games this season, the second-year wideout totaled 25 catches for 407 yards and six scores.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 21 yards, 0 TD.
Dallas Cowboys: Cole Beasley
Beasley ranks fifth on the Cowboys with 22 receptions and scored his first touchdown of the season in the team’s Week 12 win over the New York Giants. He was targeted a season-high seven times in last Thursday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, pulling down four passes for 41 yards.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 52 yards, 0 TD.
Dallas Cowboys: Dwayne Harris
The team’s primary threat on both punt and kickoff returns, Harris hasn’t made much of an impact as a wide receiver this season. He’s totaled just seven catches for 116 yards.
Harris has caught just one pass in his last seven games.
Fantasy Prediction: 0 receptions.
Chicago Bears: Brandon Marshall
The perennial Pro Bowler ranks fourth on the Bears with 58 catches but has totaled only 660 yards, for a somewhat disappointing 11.4 yards per catch. Marshall does lead the team with eight touchdown receptions but has scored at least once in only five out of 12 appearances this season.
With teammate Alshon Jeffery hurting, it could be a big night for the star wideout. And it’s worth noting that Marshall has been targeted 10 or more times in five of his last six games.
Fantasy Prediction: 7 receptions, 122 yards, 2 TD.
Chicago Bears: Alshon Jeffery
Jeffery is listed as questionable for this contest with a hamstring issue. He comes off a Thanksgiving Day performance in which he scored the team’s only two touchdowns (both in the first quarter) in a loss to the Detroit Lions.
The third-year wide receiver has scored five touchdowns in his last five games. This season, Jeffery ranks second on the team with 67 receptions, good for a team-high 854 yards and seven scores.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 51 yards, 0 TD.
Chicago Bears: Marquess Wilson
The talented wideout broke his collarbone back in August and just joined the team.
Wilson has been targeted nine times in three games and caught three passes for 21 yards.
Depending on the status of Jeffery, he could play a bigger role in this game and hopes to takes advantage of a less-than-imposing Dallas defense.
Fantasy Prediction: 2 receptions, 12 yards, 0 TD.
Chicago Bears: Josh Morgan
His lone touchdown of the season came back in the team’s 27-13 win at the Georgia Dome over the Atlanta Falcons.
Morgan has played in just two games this season and caught only six passes for 47 yards and the aforementioned score. His last catch this season came in the Bears’ Week 10 loss to the Packers.
Fantasy Prediction: 4 receptions, 35 yards, 0 TD.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Tight Ends
4 of 8
Dallas Cowboys Starter: Jason Witten
The 16th-leading pass-catcher in NFL history with 923 receptions is not having a huge year in terms of catches but remains an invaluable part of this offense.
Witten is averaging 10.7 yards this season per catch and has scored four touchdowns. His 44 receptions are tied for second on the team with running back DeMarco Murray. However, three of those five touchdowns have come in Dallas’ last five games.
Fantasy Prediction: 3 receptions, 20 yards, 0 TD.
Dallas Cowboys Backup: Gavin Escobar
There was a time when you thought Escobar could be in for a big year. But he’s totaled just eight catches for 99 yards and three touchdowns.
Since totaling three receptions for 65 yards and a pair of scores in the team’s Week 7 win over the New York Giants, Escobar has totaled one catch in his last five games.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 reception, 10 yards, 0 TD.
Chicago Bears Starter: Martellus Bennett
In last week’s loss to the Lions, Bennett was targeted 11 times and caught eight passes for 109 yards. But both of Jay Cutler’s touchdown tosses went to teammate Alshon Jeffery.
The talented tight end ranks third on the team with 65 catches, five of those for scores. Talk about deja vu? Last season, his first in Chicago, Bennett finished with 65 receptions, also good for five touchdowns.
Fantasy Prediction: 5 receptions, 47 yards, 0 TD.
Chicago Bears Backup: Dante Rosario
A dozen catches for 86 yards and zero touchdowns aren’t numbers to get excited about. Rosario has totaled only four receptions in his last five games and has been targeted just 16 times all season.
Fantasy Prediction: 1 receptions, 4 yards, 0 TD.
Defense/Special Teams
5 of 8
Dallas Cowboys Defense/Special Teams
The struggling Cowboys defense we thought we would see this season has reared its ugly head in recent weeks.
On Thanksgiving, coordinator Rod Marinelli’s unit had no answers for a Philadelphia attack that rolled up 256 yards rushing in a 33-10 win. In the last two games, Dallas has allowed a total of 61 points and seven offensive touchdowns.
This season, these Cowboys have totaled an equal amount of takeaways (19) and sacks (19). Those are hardly numbers to get very excited about.
Fantasy Prediction: 28 points allowed, 2 sacks, 2 INT, 0 FF.
Chicago Bears Defense/Special Teams
The franchise spent its share of money and draft choices on fixing one of the worst defensive units in the league last season.
Mission not accomplished.
The Bears are giving up 28.1 points per contest and have already surrendered 34 offensive touchdowns in 12 games—27 of those through the air. One year ago, the team allowed 478 points and a total of 47 offensive touchdowns.
Chicago has totaled 29 sacks this season, just two fewer sacks than a year ago, with nine of those coming in the last three weeks.
Fantasy Prediction: 38 points allowed, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 1 FF.
Best Sleeper Adds
6 of 8
A couple of these performers may not be on your team and could be worth adding in case you are in a pinch. With the way both Dallas and Chicago play defense, some of these performers may see some extended action.
1. Lance Dunbar, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (Owned in 1.1 percent of ESPN leagues)
Fellow backup Joseph Randle has more rushing yards this season but is a non-factor when it comes to the passing game. You get a little more versatility with Dunbar.
2. Cole Beasley, Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys (Owned in 0.2 percent of ESPN leagues)
He’s been the Cowboys’ second-busiest wide receiver the last few weeks and scored his only touchdown of the season in the Week 12 win over the New York Giants.
3. Dante Rosario, Tight End, Chicago Bears (Owned in 0.0 percent of ESPN leagues)
He’s caught only 12 passes all season. But just in case Martellus Bennett isn’t able to go all night, Rosario might be a nice insurance policy. Proceed with caution.
Injury Report
7 of 8
While this would usually be considered a short week for the teams, both the Cowboys and Bears played last Thursday. Here is our look at the key injuries regarding both clubs. The entire list can be found at NFL.com.
Dallas Cowboys | ||
Player | Status | |
Demarcus Lawrence | DE | Questionable |
Tony Romo | QB | Probable |
Terrance Williams | WR | Probable |
Doug Free | T | Probable |
George Selvie | DE | Probable |
Tyrone Crawford | DE | Probable |
Nick Hayden | DT | Probable |
Rolando McClain | LB | Probable |
The Cowboys have their share of defensive linemen on this list, which is not necessarily good news since the team already struggles to rush the passer. Both Lawrence (chest injury) and Selvie (thumb injury) were limited in practice this week, but the former’s issues seem to be the bigger concern.
Chicago Bears | ||
Player | Status | |
Robbie Gould | K | Doubtful |
Alshon Jeffery | WR | Questionable |
Jay Ratliff | DT | Questionable |
Chris Conte | S | Questionable |
Martellus Bennett | TE | Probable |
Kyle Long | G | Probable |
Trevor Scott | DE | Probable |
Tim Jennings | CB | Probable |
This is quite the banged-up bunch of Bears. Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com reports that the team has added veteran kicker Jay Feely to the roster in case Gould is a no-go. Meanwhile, Ratliff (inactive on Thanksgiving), Jeffery and Conte were all limited in practice all week.
Sit or Start
8 of 8
We know who the stars are when it comes to this contest. But is there a pivotal player or two that may be on your roster that you can’t decide whether to start or not? Here’s a little help.
WR Terrance Williams (Cowboys): He’s caught a total of five passes in his last four games and has cooled off considerably the last month or so. But we are talking about facing the Chicago defense.
Verdict: Start
QB Jay Cutler (Bears): Seriously? Cutler has been picked off twice in three of his last four games. And while he’s thrown a total of seven touchdown passes over that span, three of those came in the win over the Vikings. Still, like the Bears, the Cowboys don’t do a great job of rushing the passer.
Verdict: Start
TE Martellus Bennett (Bears): He’s listed on the injury report with a football issue but has been a full-time participant in practice the last two days. However, he’s also scored just one touchdown in his last nine contests.
Verdict: Sit
Some statistical support provided by Pro-Football-Reference, NFL.com and ESPN.com. Depth chart info provided by Ourlads.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")