Cowboys @ Giants Week 1 Game Preview
Jonathan previews the Week 1 matchup between the Cowboys and Giants, with player expectations and storylines to follow.
Game Analysis
There is no love lost between the Cowboys and Giants or their fan bases, so this should be a fun Week 1 matchup.
Both teams enter this contest with ambitions of taking home the NFC East crown in 2023, so this game is an important one right out of the gate.
The Giants find themselves as home underdogs despite plenty of hype about the team’s second season under HC Brian Daboll. After struggling to find reliable pass-catchers in 2022, the G-Men have a plethora of new weapons for QB Daniel Jones to work with.
Most notably, TE Darren Waller has joined the squad and appears poised to be the top target if his preseason work is any indication.
Beyond Waller, the team also signed WR Parris Campbell, drafted WR Jalin Hyatt, re-signed RB Saquon Barkley, and should get injured WR Wan’Dale Robinson back at some point early this season.
All that to say, this year’s Giants offense shouldn’t struggle for playmaking ability the way last year’s offense did.
However, they will need to hit the ground running against the Cowboys, who had a top-five scoring defense in 2022.
Aug 18, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (84) celebrates with New York Giants wide receiver Parris Campbell (0) after catching a touchdown pass against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
On the other sideline, the Cowboys have a bit of a revamped offense in their own right. They finally cut Ezekiel Elliott this offseason to hand the reins of the backfield over to Tony Pollard. They also signed WR Brandin Cooks to serve as the second option behind rising star CeeDee Lamb.
Perhaps the most notable change on offense is that the team fired OC Kellen Moore and replaced him with Brian Schottenheimer, who was most recently the OC for the Seahawks from 2018-2020.
However, reports are that Mike McCarthy will be the offensive play caller, which introduces further unknowns into exactly how the offense will function.
Both the Cowboys and Giants will be interesting to watch in Week 1.
The Cowboys for their scheme and play-calling tendencies, while the Giants have more intrigue around their depth chart and personnel groupings.
From a fantasy perspective, this game shouldn’t have too many difficult decisions, as the likes of Barkley, Pollard, and Lamb are locked into starting lineups.
The toughest start/sit conundrums are likely to be around the QBs, who both project as mid-tier options, but if you drafted them, they are likely your best option for Week 1.
Putting on my betting hat, I like taking the Giants plus the points at home. These teams feel pretty evenly matched, and divisional games often make for close affairs, so getting New York plus more than a field goal appears to be good value.