Dez Bryant is out four to six weeks with a broken foot. The Dallas Cowboys will have an uphill battle ahead of them without their biggest playmaker. Terrance Williams will be expected to carry the weight left by Bryant. Up to this point, Williams hasn't proven to be anything beyond average. Obviously that could change. Williams is in his third season. Many wide receivers see breakout seasons in their third year. Still, Williams seems to be the product of a talented offense rather than a player that makes his offense better.
Cowboys offer sneaky fantasy waiver grabs with Dez Bryant sidelined
Dez Bryant is injured. Someone needs to step up. We take a look at the fantasy implications.
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As we wait and see on Williams' expanded role, it's worth looking around the roster for other players who could see expanded roles. Obviously Jason Witten can handle an increase in targets. Tight end Gavin Escobar had a productive Week 1 and could continue some momentum, too. Still, from a personnel standpoint, it's tough to envision Escobar being a consistent option. Cole Beasley is a deep yet appealing option in PPR leagues. He's a slot receiver. That won't change. Witten will see plenty of targets in the middle of the field, watering down Beasley's ceiling a bit, but there's no reason Beasley doesn't see some sort of a boost in opportunities.
When Bryant left for the locker room late in the fourth quarter in Sunday's game, Tony Romo targeted four players on the final two drives: Williams, Beasley, Witten and running back Lance Dunbar. We may see a similar trend in the coming weeks.
Lastly, there’s one player rarely mentioned at this point: Devin Street. Street is a second-year receiver who filled in for Bryant during the offseason as the superstar sorted out his contract extension. Street is a raw prospect, but he has more opportunity than ever. Technically, Street is Bryant’s backup on the depth chart.
If there were any conclusions to be made at this point, it’s that anyone who steps up over the next month or two is a temporary option until Dez returns. Williams is going to see a greater quantity of targets, regardless of the quality of his play. Witten gets an extra boost as a mid-range TE1 in all formats. Escobar is a red-zone target but is ultimately a TE2 streaming option at best. Beasley gets a boost as a WR4 in PPR formats. Street probably isn’t worth owning even in deeper leagues. He could be a boom-or-bust option during Bryant’s absence, but it’s tough to envision anything consistent from him. Expect more of a variety in terms of distribution from Romo while Dez is off the field. The Cowboys, much like Bryant’s fantasy owners, are hoping this is all just a temporary setback.
