Dallas Cowboys 2013 Fantasy Football Preview

December 9, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant (88) pulls in a long pass against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Dallas won the game 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy Stud — Dez Bryant, WR

If Dez Bryant stays out of trouble, I see no reason other  than injury that he won’t be a top five fantasy receiver this season. He has established himself as the top receiver in the Cowboys’ offense, and had a huge third season with the Cowboys in 2012.

Bryant caught 92 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging close to 90 yards per game.

If Bryant can keep up that momentum he gained last season, I think even with the number of targets in the Cowboys’ offense that he can have 100 catches this season, and possibly even more touchdowns.

Tony Romo got really comfortable throwing the ball to Dez last season, and I think going forward, he is the prime Cowboy to own in fantasy football. His stock has risen to potentially second round status in some leagues, and I think he will be an absolute monster in PPR leagues, likely scoring in most of the Cowboys’ games this season.

Bryant is primed to become a top receiver in the NFL, so get your hands on him this year.

Fantasy Risk — Tony Romo, QB

Romo is a deceptively good fantasy football quarterback. He’s a low-end QB1 in most every league, and he throws too many picks, but this is a guy that nearly carried my team to a championship last year with some big games down the stretch.

Obviously, Romo has a ton of potent targets at his disposal, and he nearly threw for 5,000 yards last season with 28 touchdowns. In 2011, Romo threw 31 touchdown passes. He is a guy that is capable of throwing 35 or more TD passes in a given season even though he’s consistently one of the most pressured QBs in the league.

While Romo doesn’t always make great decisions throwing the ball, he is a pretty good option that is risky because of his inconsistency. There were games last year where Romo had over 40 points in my league, and other games where he barely scratched 20.

If you are the type of person that likes to put off drafting a QB until later in the draft, Romo is a guy who is constantly rated lower than he produces. He’s a bit of a risk, but worth taking a gamble on because of the amount of weapons the Cowboys have.

Fantasy Breakout Star — DeMarco Murray, RB

Murray has the potential to be an absolute star in the NFL if he can stay healthy. The problem is, that’s too big of an if at this point. Murray has missed nine games in two seasons with the Cowboys, but has undoubtedly shown an ability to be a featured back in the league.

Murray has a great combination of size and athleticism, and is capable of ripping off big runs. He’s also a good receiver out of the backfield.

Having only played in 23 career games, Murray hasn’t reached 1,000 yards in a season and has just six career touchdowns. I think if he can play a full 16 games, Murray can easily eclipse 1,000 yards and 8-12 touchdowns.

Rookie to Watch — Terrance Williams, WR

Williams has a long way to go, but with the injury issues of Miles Austin, it wouldn’t shock me if he saw some action as a rookie. Williams was extremely productive at Baylor and while the word is that he’s come along slowly at Cowboys camp this offseason, I think the plan is to have him as the #3 receiver as soon as possible.

It would be interesting to see the Cowboys use Dez Bryant and Terrance Williams on the outside with Miles Austin in the slot. Eventually, that could be a terrifying trio for teams to face.

This was an underrated prospect coming out, but as a third rounder, he’s going to have to really earn his spot.