Matt Cassel, Dez Bryant Updated Fantasy Outlook with Tony Romo Injury

The Dallas Cowboys are facing the rest of the season without Tony Romo after it was announced on Friday morning that the quarterback is out with a hairline fracture in his left shoulder, per the Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota. 

Without their starter, Matt Cassel is expected to take over for Romo once again this season. Cassel started four games with the Cowboys in 2015 after the Brandon Weeden experiment failed following Romo's initial injury. 

For fantasy football owners, Cassel is back in the fold leading a Cowboys passing game that is headlined by Dez Bryant. While Cassel's presence might effect Bryant's output for your team, lets take a look at their fantasy outlook moving forward. 

Matt Cassel

Cassel came in during Thanksgiving night against the Carolina Panthers and performed admirably when the game was already out of reach. He looked confident navigating the offense, doing so in a quick and efficient manner. 

The problem was that his stats came in garbage time, which doesn't hurt a fantasy football team, but things probably would have played out differently had he started against the undefeated Panthers.

He hasn't put up great numbers as a starter with Dallas, and picking him up could be a risky addition to your fantasy team. Here is how he's performed as the Cowboys' starter:

Week	Opponent	Comp/Att	Yards	TD	INT	Fantasy Pts.
7	New York Giants	17/27	227	1	3	7
8	Seattle Seahawks	13/25	97	0	0	7
9	Philadelphia Eagles	25/38	299	3	1	22
10	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	19/30	186	0	1	5

They aren't good numbers for fantasy owners. One good outing against an Eagles secondary that is one of the worst in the league doesn't justify having him in your starting lineup, either. 

Upcoming games against the Washington Redskins, Green Bay Packers and New York Jets, all who have allowed an average of under 18 fantasy points per game against quarterbacks, aren't ideal matchups, either. 

If you're playing in a two quarterback, 10-team league and are in need of an arm, then maybe take a look at Cassel. That's the only situation I could condone inserting Cassel in your lineup.

Dez Bryant

Romo's return had to have been a welcome sight for Bryant as the two recently became the most prolific quarterback-wide receiver combination in team history, as ESPN shows:

Bryant, arguably the biggest offensive playmaker for the Cowboys, will now have to rely on Cassel once again to get him the ball. 

Returning from a five-game hiatus in Week 8, Bryant saw varying success in three games with Cassel under center. 

Bryant did not have more than five receptions in each of those three games, including a one and four-point effort in Weeks 8 and 10. When Cassel did have his one big game of the season against the Eagles, Bryant reaped the benefits, going for 104 yards and a touchdown for 16 points. 

If Cassel is having a bad day, it translates to Bryant having one, too. But that doesn't mean you should keep him out of your lineup. As the Cowboys' main threat in the air, Bryant has to make plays to gain the trust of Cassel and build a solid relationship to end the season strong. 

Don't expect monster points from Bryant, but keep playing him. 

Game and fantasy stats courtesy of ESPN.com