Eagles-Cowboys Fantasy Preview

Lots of fantasy relevant names will take the field as the top two teams in the NFC East battle for first place on Sunday. Both teams are having success throwing the ball, so all eyes will be on Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo as they look to march their offenses down the field.

Without further ado, here is what to expect from the Eagles and Cowboys in terms of fantasy contributions.

EAGLES

Donovan McNabb- Coming off an extremely solid performance last week against the Giants, McNabb looks to continue to roll against the division rival Cowboys. Dallas has the league’s 22nd ranked pass defense, allowing 237.1 yards per game. They have question marks in the defensive backfield, with only Terence Newman currently playing consistent football. If McNabb gets time to throw, and I believe he will, he should put together another solid game for fantasy owners. Prediction: 275 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Brian Westbrook- In my talks with Fanball’s Cowboys correspondent Don Potts, I labeled Westbrook as my player of the game. The reasons why are because he is fully rested and has taken a backseat so far this season to the young offensive weapons. There is still some life left in Westy’s legs, and I expect him to bounce back and put together a solid effort against the Cowboys. While Dallas has been tough enough against the run, ranking 13th in the NFL with 105 yards allowed per game, Westbrook will get touches through the air and on the ground as he looks to regain his lost form. Prediction: 75 rushing yards, 45 receiving yards, 1 touchdown

DeSean Jackson- You should know by now what Jackson is capable of doing week in and week out. The guy is a flat-out unbelievable playmaker, causing serious damage while only touching the ball around 5-6 times a game. Going against Newman will be a tough task, but he has seen tough corners already in 2009. The biggest question mark will be the Cowboys safeties giving help over the top, can they keep up with Jackson’s speed? Check out CBS’s Clark Judge praising the second-year player. Cowboys corner Mike Jenkins wants his shot at Jackson, stressing the need to be physical with the speedster. Prediction: 80 receiving yards, 15 rushing yards, 1 touchdown

Jeremy Maclin- While far from a No. 1 WR option for fantasy owners, Maclin has been showing consistency since being promoted to a starter. If you have too many receiving options on bye this week, Maclin is a nice sub for the Cowboys game. I expect Jackson to get more of the attention from the secondary, thus leaving Maclin with some big play potential. He is getting better every week, and now has the full trust of McNabb. Prediction: 65 receiving yards

Brent Celek- With Kevin Kolb behind center, we saw the emergence of Celek as a top flight option at the tight end position. Since McNabb returned, Celek has been solid, but not as elite. He found the end zone last week for the first time since Week 3. When he makes a catch, the guy is impossible to bring down. He fights for every extra inch, a trait not unnoticed by the Philadelphia faithful. No, he is not a top five option at tight end. But he is still a huge part of this offense, and could certainly see success this Sunday night. Prediction: 55 receiving yards, 1 touchdown

LeSean McCoy- Westbrook is almost guaranteed to suit up Sunday, thus diminishing the value of the rookie running back out of Pittsburgh. McCoy will not be absent from the offense, however, and should see close to 10 touches on the evening. Prediction: 35 rushing yards, 10 receiving yards

PHI D/ST: The Eagles currently have the 2nd best fantasy defense, even though they are 10th in yards allowed per game. A big reason for their success is a NFL-best 21 takeaways, including 14 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. The defense has also racked up 23 sacks and scored two defensive touchdowns. They have a tough task this weekend stopping a Cowboys offense that has been clicking on all cylinders the past few weeks. If they are able to get to Romo and interrupt his rhythm as a passer, I can see another solid day for the Eagles D. Prediction: 17 points allowed, 3 sacks, two interceptions

DALLAS

Tony Romo: For the last three games, Romo has been lighting up the scoreboard, throwing for 918 yards, 8 touchdowns, and no interceptions. Granted, he was facing some weaker pass defenses in the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Falcons. In his tenure in the NFL, Romo has shown some flashes of brilliance but also flashes of Ryan Leaf. Which Romo will show up in the hostile environment of Lincoln Financial Field, against one of the most aggressive defenses in the league, with first place on the line? Prediction: 225 passing yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions

Marion Barber III: The bruising tailback for the Cowboys is having what looks like a down year. He has rushed for over 80 yards just once this season, and has been a non-factor in the passing game. Upon closer review, it seems obvious to me that the Cowboys are limiting Barber’s workload in an attempt to keep him fresh for later in the year. He has carried the ball no more than 18 times a game. With Felix Jones there stealing carries away, Barber is no longer an elite fantasy option. Prediction: 50 rushing yards

Miles Austin: Through Week 4, Austin had five receptions for 81 yards and one touchdown. In the three games since, he has 21 receptions for 382 yards and five touchdowns. So what has he done in these past three weeks that he was unable to do the first month of the season, besides going against weak pass defenses? It seems to me that Austin and Romo have developed a chemistry that is such a key component to success between a QB and a WR.  The Eagles will be a tough assignment for this duo because of Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown, two of the better corners in the NFC. I expect the Eagles to completely shut down Austin. Prediction: 45 receiving yards

Jason Witten: An ongoing trend in my fantasy preview columns in that the opposing teams’ tight end is the strongest play in fantasy. The Eagles just never can cover the tight end, and have had extreme trouble trying to contain Witten in the past. He and Romo have torched the Eagles on many occasions, and I could see the two hooking up again this year. Prediction: 105 receiving yards, two touchdowns

DAL D/ST: The Dallas D are toward the bottom in fantasy points, and are a bad play this week. Prediction: 27 points allowed, two sacks, one interception

Borderline Starts: Felix Jones

Not Worth Consideration: Jason Avant, Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton

All photos courtesy of AP

Tags: Asante Samuel, Brent Celek, Brian Westbrook, Dallas Cowboys, DeSean Jackson, Donovan McNabb, Felix Jones, Jason Witten, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Marion Barber, Miles Austin, NFC East, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Sheldon Brown, Tony Romo