Eagles @ Cowboys Week 16 Game Preview
With a high game total and no love lost between the Eagles and the Cowboys, we could see fireworks in more than one sense during this matchup.
Eagles at Cowboys (-4.5) – 46.5 total
This is still the game of the week for me, despite Jalen Hurts being ruled out due to a shoulder injury. I’m a big believer in Hurts and you’ll never catch me calling him a system QB, but I do think Gardner Minshew is good enough to keep this talented Eagles offense moving and putting points on the board. Although the Eagles could clinch the top seed in the NFC with a Vikings loss before they even kickoff, the talk of them resting starters this far ahead of the playoffs seems overblown to me.
Fortunately, this is one of the few games this weekend that won’t be impacted by weather, and there are plenty of fantasy stars who should benefit. With the fourth-highest game total on the week and no love lost between these two franchises, we could see fireworks in more than one sense during this one. You should feel good about starting most of the fantasy options here.
On the Eagles’ side, Miles Sanders (RB14), A.J. Brown (WR9), DeVonta Smith (WR23), and Dallas Goedert (TE8) should all be in your lineup. The Cowboys defense ranks highly against opposing QBs, RBs, and TEs, but have given up points to WRs. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Eagles go even more run-heavy than normal, but they likely won’t be able to keep pace with Dallas without opening up the offense for Minshew.
The Cowboys offense continues to be led by one of the better backfield duos of Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott who are a solid RB1 and RB2 in Fantasy Life rankings respectively. The Eagles’ defense has been extremely strong against opposing WRs, allowing the fourth-fewest yards and fantasy points to the position so far this year. Despite that, CeeDee Lamb projects as a top 20 WR and Dalton Schultz still has appeal despite the other TEs on the team finding the endzone in recent weeks.
It may be tempting to bet the overs in one of the few games that looks poised for a shootout, but there are a few reasons for concern. Although Dallas and Philadelphia both rank in the top half of the league in plays per game, they also both rank in the top 7 run-heaviest offenses in the league. In a divisional matchup between two playoff-bound teams, one of whom is starting a backup QB, it wouldn’t be surprising to see both teams lean on the ground game and be content with a low-scoring, close game.
Our CEO has a bet on the Eagles +6, and the spread has narrowed since then, suggesting the sharps’ money came in on the Eagles following the extreme line movement when news of Jalen Hurts’ injury first broke. It can be a bit nervy betting on a team with their backup QB, but Minshew has shown enough in his career, and has enough talent around him, to make me believe the Eagles will keep this close and have a real shot at winning this one.