The NFL Grind Down: Sunday Night Football - Giants vs. Cowboys
In this article, we will take a look at the top DraftKings and FanDuel picks for the Giants vs. Cowboys, go over potential sleepers, and even take a look at some player props that we can target on fantasy pick’em sites like Sleeper Fantasy ahead of this Sunday Night Football matchup.
NFL DFS Showdown DraftKings Picks and Sleepers — DAL vs. NYG
Our first Sunday Night Football game should be a good one, as we have two division rivals squaring off in New York. The Cowboys are hoping to contend with the Eagles for the division title, while the Giants are hoping to make back-to-back appearances in the playoffs. If all breaks right, there’s a small chance we could see three teams from the NFC East make the postseason. This game opens with a 3.5-point spread and a 45.5-point total.
Dallas Cowboys Preview
When healthy, you could argue the Cowboys have a top-five defense and a top-five offense. Their season could come down to coaching and execution, which are both question marks. Kellen Moore is now the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, which means Brian Schottenheimer will take over the reigns of the Cowboys offense. Changes to the roster include parting ways with Ezekiel Elliott and Dalton Schultz and bringing in Brandin Cooks.
The Cowboys have their choice on how to attack the Giants in this one. New York’s defense finished 20th in pass EPA and 30th in rush EPA last season. If you prefer DVOA metrics, the Giants were even worse against the pass (22nd) and the run (32nd). The total for the game does feel a bit low given how lethal the Cowboys offense has been the last couple of seasons, but that likely has to do with the fact that they are playing on the road against a divisional foe.
Dak Prescott deserves consideration in all formats and is on my short list of potential Captain and MVP targets. He’s not as mobile as he once was, but he still offers a high floor and a high ceiling. He should be able to carve up a defense that is starting two rookies at cornerback. The concern for Dallas is the offensive line, specifically the left side. Tackle Tyron Smith is listed as questionable, while guard Tyler Smith is not expected to play. With Prescott’s propensity to turn the ball over in recent years, the Giants defense could be worth a flier in large-field tournaments.
DFS players have been clamoring for more Tony Pollard for years, and we finally saw some of that last season. With Elliott out of the picture, this is now his backfield. He’s been one of the most efficient backs in the league over the last couple of seasons and should only cede a small amount of work to Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn. Given this matchup and his ability to make plays in the passing game, he’s a priority in all formats.
In two meetings with the Giants last season, CeeDee Lamb racked up 14 catches on 23 targets for 193 yards and a touchdown. There’s nothing to suggest his success against New York won’t continue. Cooks will slide in as the WR2 in this offense, while we can expect to see a lot of Michael Gallup as well. The Cowboys will likely run a lot of 11 personnel this season. In Schultz’s absence, Jake Ferguson will draw the start with Peyton Hendershot and Luke Schoonmaker mixing in as well.
New York Giants Preview
The Giants not only got into the playoffs last year, but beat the Vikings on the road during Wildcard Weekend. Hopes are high in New York, but the oddsmakers don’t seem to be on the same page as the fans. The Giants have a much lower win total than some might expect. Perhaps it has something to do with their division or with the fact that they seemingly won every close game that they were a part of last season. There weren’t too many changes to the roster outside of bringing in Darren Waller at tight end.
We’ve seen Daniel Jones be an effective real-life and fantasy quarterback, but he’ll have his hands full with a Week 1 matchup against the Cowboys. Last season, Dallas was ranked in the top five against the run and the pass. They might be even better this season after bringing in Stephon Gilmore and drafting Mazi Smith in the first round. Jones remains the highest floor play on the Giants given the fact that he offers rushing upside and will have the ball in his hands more than any other player. While I consider Jones more of a priority, I do have my eye on the Cowboys defense. If they get the Giants in obvious passing situations, we could easily see them forcing a couple of turnovers.
Saquon Barkley is one of the few workhorse running backs that we have left in the NFL, and he’s coming off of a tremendous 2022 campaign. He runs as hard as anyone and is still a very capable pass-catching running back. If the secondary holds up for Dallas, we could see a lot of dump-offs to Barkley, especially if the Giants are trailing in the second half. I don’t expect Matt Breida to be heavily involved, but he should spell Barkley every now and then and is only $1,600 on DraftKings.
The Giants didn’t have a lot of talent at wide receiver last year, but they made the most of it. Late in the season, they may have found their WR1 in Isaiah Hodgins. He made a ton of big plays down the stretch of the season and looked good in the playoffs as well. I wouldn’t call him a sure thing heading into Week 1, though. Even with Wan’Dale Robinson out, this is a crowded wide receiver room — Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, Parris Campbell, and Sterling Shepard are all expected to see the field. Waller has been on the injury report all week, but is expected to suit up tonight. For what it’s worth, the Cowboys allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to tight ends and the sixth most fantasy points to wide receivers last season.
Cowboys-Giants DFS Salaries & Projections
| Player | Team | Proj | DK Sal | CPT Sal | DK/$ | FD Sal | FD/$ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Pollard | DAL | 20.56 | $11,000 | $16,500 | 1.87 | $13,500 | 1.52 |
| Dak Prescott | DAL | 19.88 | $10,000 | $15,000 | 1.99 | $16,000 | 1.24 |
| Daniel Jones | NYG | 19.75 | $9,400 | $14,100 | 2.10 | $16,500 | 1.20 |
| CeeDee Lamb | DAL | 18.62 | $10,400 | $15,600 | 1.79 | $14,000 | 1.33 |
| Saquon Barkley | NYG | 18.26 | $10,600 | $15,900 | 1.72 | $14,500 | 1.26 |
| Brandin Cooks | DAL | 13.23 | $7,200 | $10,800 | 1.84 | $10,500 | 1.26 |
| Darren Waller | NYG | 11.37 | $8,400 | $12,600 | 1.35 | $12,000 | 0.95 |
| Isaiah Hodgins | NYG | 8.23 | $6,400 | $9,600 | 1.29 | $11,000 | 0.75 |
| Michael Gallup | DAL | 7.80 | $5,800 | $8,700 | 1.34 | $8,000 | 0.98 |
| Brandon Aubrey | DAL | 7.75 | $4,200 | $6,300 | 1.85 | $9,000 | 0.86 |
| Darius Slayton | NYG | 7.08 | $5,400 | $8,100 | 1.31 | $9,000 | 0.79 |
| Graham Gano | NYG | 6.97 | $4,000 | $6,000 | 1.74 | $8,500 | 0.82 |
| Jake Ferguson | DAL | 6.56 | $4,800 | $7,200 | 1.37 | $8,000 | 0.82 |
| Dallas Cowboys | DAL | 6.48 | $5,200 | $7,800 | 1.25 | $9,500 | 0.68 |
| Parris Campbell | NYG | 6.03 | $4,400 | $6,600 | 1.37 | $10,000 | 0.60 |
| Jalin Hyatt | NYG | 5.02 | $4,600 | $6,900 | 1.09 | $7,000 | 0.72 |
| New York Giants | NYG | 4.52 | $3,400 | $5,100 | 1.33 | $8,500 | 0.53 |
| Sterling Shepard | NYG | 4.28 | $2,400 | $3,600 | 1.78 | $7,500 | 0.57 |
| Matt Breida | NYG | 3.75 | $1,600 | $2,400 | 2.34 | $6,500 | 0.58 |
| Rico Dowdle | DAL | 2.94 | $1,800 | $2,700 | 1.63 | $5,500 | 0.53 |
| Deuce Vaughn | DAL | 2.75 | $3,000 | $4,500 | 0.92 | $6,000 | 0.46 |
| Daniel Bellinger | NYG | 2.46 | $400 | $600 | 6.15 | $7,500 | 0.33 |
| Luke Schoonmaker | DAL | 1.97 | $600 | $900 | 3.28 | $5,000 | 0.39 |
| Jalen Tolbert | DAL | 1.79 | $1,000 | $1,500 | 1.79 | $5,500 | 0.33 |
| Peyton Hendershot | DAL | 1.41 | $800 | $1,200 | 1.76 | $5,000 | 0.28 |
| KaVontae Turpin | DAL | 1.19 | $200 | $300 | 5.95 | $6,000 | 0.20 |
| Gary Brightwell | NYG | 0.62 | $200 | $300 | 3.10 | $5,000 | 0.12 |
| Lawrence Cager | NYG | 0.61 | $200 | $300 | 3.05 | $5,000 | 0.12 |
| Eric Gray | NYG | 0.56 | $200 | $300 | 2.80 | $5,000 | 0.11 |
| Hunter Luepke | DAL | 0.31 | $200 | $300 | 1.55 | $5,000 | 0.06 |
| Jalen Brooks | DAL | 0.28 | $200 | $300 | 1.40 | $5,500 | 0.05 |
Fantasy Sleepers
Michael Gallup – He’s coming off of a disappointing season and the Cowboys brought in Cooks, so there’s a good chance he will get overlooked on this Week 1 showdown slate. However, he’s now a full season removed from his knee injury in 2021 and he should get plenty of run in three-receiver sets. If the Giants sell out to stop the run or to put the clamps on Lamb, the field could really open up for Gallup.
Cowboys vs. Giants Player Props
Tony Pollard more than 71.5 rushing yards (1.77x) – Sleeper
With Elliott out of the picture, Pollard is expected to dominate touches in the Cowboys’ backfield. He has been one of the most explosive and most efficient running backs in the NFL over the last couple of seasons and now gets the opportunity to be the true RB1 on a team. The Giants were bottom five in DVOA against the run, rush EPA, and rushing yards allowed per game last season, so there’s really nothing that should slow him down in terms of the matchup.
Final DFS Showdown Thoughts
Based on the spread, we can expect a close game between these division rivals. The Cowboys are the more talented team on both sides of the ball, but the Giants have an edge in the coaching department. Anchoring lineups with both quarterbacks is never a bad strategy, especially since Prescott and Jones can both rack up fantasy points on the ground. If you are looking to roster all of the studs, the best place to punt is with the wideouts on the Giants or the cheap tight ends on the Cowboys. This is a slate where both kickers and both defenses are viable, as tough as it can be to click on them in showdown lineups.