Dak Prescott is trying to prove to the league that he is an elite quarterback. He didn’t get the payday he wanted in 2020, meaning he will play on the franchise tag. This should only further motivate him to duplicate, or exceed his 2019 stats with the Dallas Cowboys. While the jury really isn’t out on if he is worth the money he is asking for, he has certainly proven his worth in fantasy football circles. Already a great dual-threat quarterback, Prescott demolished his passing numbers from the year before. He will be a great pick in re-draft leagues this year.
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Fantasy Football Preview: Dak Prescott
2019 Review
Prescott unquestionably had his best year as a pro in 2019. He set new career highs in passing yards (4,902) and touchdowns (30). This put Prescott as not only the QB2 but also gave him the third-most points overall in half-point PPR leagues. Having Amari Cooper for an entire season certainly helped his case. Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb were also great secondary targets. Plus, Jason Witten decided to come back down from the Monday Night Football booth as Prescott’s safety valve. Oh yeah, he also has an elite back with Ezekiel Elliott to help him.
One place where Prescott did regress in 2019 was in his rushing stats. After a career high 75 carries in 2018, Prescott reversed course and ended with the least carries and of his career in 2019. He also started off his career with three straight seasons of six rushing touchdowns. That number was cut in half to only three in 2020. As he enters his fifth NFL season, his rushing numbers should continue to regress, though probably not significantly. Three touchdowns on the ground is probably his floor. Overall, fantasy players shouldn’t worry about his rushing totals as long as he continues to improve as a passer.
2020 Preview
Most of Prescott’s supporting cast remains intact for 2020. Cooper, Elliott, and Gallup all return. Cobb left for the Houston Texans, but his replacement should be just as good, if not better. CeeDee Lamb basically fell into the Cowboy’s lap during the draft, giving owner Jerry Jones no choice but to pull the trigger. He was rated by most as the top wide receiver in the entire draft. He ended being the third wideout taken and will look to establish himself in what looks to be one of the most dangerous trios of wideouts in the league. Prescott should have at least one of the three open every play. Don’t forget Elliott as well, who will keep defenses honest.
Prescott’s 2019 season is within reach, and he will still be playing to prove that he deserves a payday. Plus, Mike McCarthy, the new head coach, has always been a pass-heavy coach. Putting all this into consideration, it isn’t unreasonable to expect Prescott to put up similar numbers in 2020. While the QB1 numbers are usually extremely unpredictable from year-to-ear, QB2 and 3 finishes usually fall around the 350-point mark.
Dak Prescott ADP and Comparison
Prescott’s consensus seems to be somewhere between QB3 and QB5, more often leaning towards a top-three pick at the position. It’s really a perfect spot for him considering the costs of the top two – Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. Those guys are going anywhere between the first few rounds, whereas Prescott can be taken around the sixth round.
Keep in mind that though Mahomes had a ridiculous 2018, in terms of fantasy value, he came back down to earth. He missed two games, which certainly accounts for his QB8 finish. However, he averaged just over 20 points-per-game. Even taking out the game he was injured, where he only scored seven points, and his 21.85 points-per-game are .04 more than Prescott’s.
The two players rated near him are Deshaun Watson and Kyler Murray. Most might argue that their floor is higher than Prescott’s, which could be true based on their rushing ability. But is it really? Reaching 4,900 passing yards won’t be easy for a second-year quarterback like Murray. Then, Watson’s projections are all over the place. He lost his top receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. Bill O’Brien replaced him with Brandin Cooks and Cobb, but it’s hard to imagine them duplicating the chemistry that he and Hopkins had.
Overall, Prescott is about as safe a quarterback to go within redraft leagues. For an almost lock at a top-five finish, don’t hesitate to pull the trigger on him in drafts.
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