Team news: Dallas Cowboys

Running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to terms, pending a physical that will bring the multi-time former Pro Bowler back, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported Monday morning.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman

While we figure that Elliott will be part of a rotation this season, it's hard to imagine the team went through the NFL Draft without selecting an option just to grab their former RB1 and keep him on the bench. If you're targeting a back on the Cowboys, it should be Elliott, but it may be better to take a wait-and-see approach over the next few months.

The Cowboys have signed running back Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. Freeman had 319 yards on 77 carries with 2 touchdowns last year for the Los Angeles Rams. He was 3rd round pick of Denver in '18.

Related Players: Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn

Freeman hasn't rushed for 500 yards since 2018, his rookie season. This shouldn't have any impact on the team drafting at the position and/or bringing back Ezekiel Elliott.

Cowboys begin their voluntary spring workout program one week from today. Barring a surprise departure from precedent, WR CeeDee Lamb won’t participate, as a potential holdout looms.

Gehlken continues, "Barring a contract extension that, when complete, is expected to make Lamb the highest-paid wide receiver in NFL history, Lamb won’t take the field."

This is always a tricky path in fantasy, as we've seen holdouts last into the regular season, and that puts a question mark on his value in drafts. Lamb is the WR2 in current 4for4 Rankings, but missing time will obviously put a damper on that. We'll keep an eye on the situation throughout the offseason.

The Dallas Cowboys and RB Rico Dowdle have agreed to terms on a one-year deal to bring him back in 2024, the team can confirm.

Dowdle will be Dallas’ leading returning rusher after running for 361 yards last season in his first season in a prominent role.

Related Players: Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, Snoop Conner

As the depth start stands, Dowdle might be the best value on the board in current best ball drafts. Though the team is likely to add another piece in the NFL Draft, Dowdle is very much on fantasy radars here in March.

Cowboys have released WR Michael Gallup. Move to eventually save $9.5M in 2024 cap space as a post-June 1 cut.

Related Players: Jalen Tolbert, Martavis Bryant, KaVontae Turpin

Gallup has sadly fallen off since tearing his ACL in 2021 and has failed to eclipse 40 receptions in either of the last two years. The once-promising wide receiver will have a chance to find a role with a new team and could contribute as a perimeter option in 2024.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on 1053thefan on rookie RB Deuce Vaughn getting an opportunity Saturday night with No. 2 RB Rico Dowdle (ankle) being out: “Deuce will be up this weekend. We got a plan and looking forward to it.”

Related Players: Tony Pollard

Dowdle had seen some increased usage over the back half of the season, but we probably shouldn't expect the 5'5", 176-pound rookie back to be eating into Pollard's workload too much. Vaughn has carried the ball 21 times for 38 yards (1.8/att.) to this point in the season.

The Patriots are placing starting RB Rhamondre Stevenson on Injured Reserve, ending his season.

Related Players: Ezekiel Elliott, Kevin Harris

This clears the way for Elliott to continue taking the majority workload for the last two games of the regular season, making him an RB2 the rest of the way. As for Stevenson's long-term view, we can only hope for some sort of overhaul to the Patriot's pedestrian offense.

The three players the Patriots are listing as out for Sunday night’s game in Denver:

🏈RB Rhamondre Stevenson, Ankle
🏈WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Ankle
🏈S Jabrill Peppers, Hamstring

Related Players: Ezekiel Elliott, Kevin Harris

Elliott should once again handle the majority of the workload, though it's on a floundering offense. Consider him an RB2 against the Broncos defense.

Rams running back Ronnie Rivers, who has been on IR, has been designated to return to practice per team.

Related players: Kyren Williams, Royce Freeman, Zach Evans

Rivers last played in Week 6 and was the main backup to Williams. When both backs landed on IR, the Rams went on an RB shopping spree and brought in the likes of Darrell Henderson, Freeman and Myles Gaskin. The team has since cut Henderson and Gaskin leaving Freeman as the main backup to Williams. A possible Rivers return could put him back in the RB2 spot, but that remains to be seen.

Patriots injury report:

Did not participate: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle)

Limited participation: DT Christian Barmore (shoulder), WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder), OT Trent Brown (ankle/hand), WR Pop Douglas (concussion), WR DeVante Parker (knee), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle)

Related Players: Ezekiel Elliott

It Looks like it's setting up for another Zeke week, after the veteran handled 100% of the RB workload in Week 14. That kind of usage would make him a very solid RB2, regardless of how close his yards per attempt is to 3.0.