Cowboys RB outlook for Dalvin Cook, Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle vs. SF

When teams report for training camps at the end of July, the preparation window is closed. The regular season opener begins 45 days after the first training camp and sets a schedule to get into football shape.

Dalvin Cook had an additional 15 days to work his way up. The former second-round pick of the Minnesota Viking, signed on August 28, will make his debut with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, 60 days after his signing. Cook needed a little extra seasoning after sitting on the sidelines all offseason, not participating in OTAs or minicamps, and waiting for the right opportunity to come along.

The extra time makes sense considering in-season workouts don't provide the same amount of reps as training camp, but now he'll be part of the Cowboys' crowded and questionable running back room, shifting the fantasy outlook quite a bit players, especially Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle.

Neither defender has recorded a single special teams snap during the 2024 season, making for an interesting dynamic. Cook has never played on special teams in his career. Elliott has played fewer than 10 snaps in his career, all on kick returns.

Dowdle, a career backup until taking over RB1 duties this year, has a long history with teams, with nearly 400 career snaps and 180 over the past two seasons.

But here too he was the leader.

Elliott certainly has the biggest question mark with Cook's rise.

Offensive snaps have been steady for Elliott, aside from a two-game layoff in Week 3 and Week 4, when he played just 21 total snaps. He has seen between 21 and 29 snaps in each of the other four contests.

Elliott's carries have returned to his average of about six per game, but he hasn't totaled more than 20 rushing yards since Week 1. He has just one target and no receptions in the last two weeks. It's hard to see him having a viable fantasy role this week.

There's even a chance (due to the special teams factor) that Elliott becomes inactive on Sunday.

Dowdle's fantasy production has been fairly stable as an RB3 for PPR leagues. In the blowout loss to the Lions in Week 6 before the bye, he had just 55 total yards, but that included five receptions. He had scored touchdowns in each of the previous two games, although he only saw 19 offensive snaps in Week 6.

Fans should probably avoid playing any of the three defensemen in Week 8, especially since there are no teams that have a bye this week; Regular entrees should be available.

If you have to choose, it just makes sense to look at a flyer on Cook, since Dowdle hasn't shown the ability to be a difference-maker, and the gap between no Cook production and Dowdle's season-best isn't earth-shattering.