Cowboys' Tony Pollard Fantasy Outlook with Ezekiel Elliott Out Injured vs. 49ers

Few NFL players are more important to their respective offenses than running back Ezekiel Elliott is to the Dallas Cowboys, but the team—and fantasy players—will have to work without him for at least one game.

Elliott has been ruled out for Sunday's contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He's been dealing with a calf injury that kept him from practicing all week. 

The setback will have fantasy reverberations outside the impact it has on the Cowboys. It may even cause fantasy players to rush to the waiver wire to grab his backup, Tony Pollard.

While Pollard doesn't have a track record of a fantasy difference-maker, there is reason for optimism. He was solid as a rookie in 2019 with 455 rushing yards on 5.3 yards per carry. He also mixed in 15 catches, showing he can be a factor in the aerial attack for those in point-per-reception leagues.

This season, Pollard has arguably been more valuable than Elliott on a play-to-play basis with 4.5 yards per carry, surpassing Elliott's 3.9. Pollard's also posted 442 yards from scrimmage and three total touchdowns on 93 touches. 

San Francisco's defense isn't a favorable matchup for fantasy running backs, as the unit is allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position, per Pro Football Reference. 

Still, the Cowboys have to give the ball to someone. Pollard is only rostered in 26 percent of Yahoo leagues and 22 percent of ESPN leagues, so he should be available if you act quickly. 

Pollard will surely be one of the top targets for fantasy players looking to the waiver wire during the coming days, and he is talented enough to deliver. Don't hesitate to pursue him if he is available.