cowboys preview

From a fantasy standpoint, the Dallas Cowboys were probably the NFL's best team last season - even better than the Patriots. QB Tony Romo, WR Terrell Owens and TE Jason Witten were all near the top at their positions, and Marion Barber was a solid No. 1 running back. Plus, the defense was a good option as well. Count on more of the same in 2008.

QB: Romo (4211 passing yards, 36 TD passes) was arguably the second-best QB in the league last season, after Tom Brady. Romo's passing total ranked third and his QB total was second. His only downfall was his 19 INTs ranked tied for fourth. Count on Romo to be better this season-on a level with Brady, whose numbers will slip, and Peyton Manning. This is Romo's third season, so he'll read defenses better, which will cut his INT total. And his yardage total should rise, mainly because he's got fewer options at running back, which will mean more passes. I'd rate him as the third-best QB in the league, but wouldn't be surprised if he outplayed Brady or Manning or both.

RB: Barber (975 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs) was a solid No. 1 last season who should be a top fantasy option this season. Last season Julius Jones took more than 10 carries per game for Dallas. This season Jones is in Seattle and Felix Jones is Barber's backup. Jones is a talented but frail rookie, so Dallas will limit his carries. And no way he takes carries near the end zone, which guarantees Barber's TD total, which was tied for fifth in the NFL last season, will rise. Barber should be good for 1200 yards and 12 TDs this season - plus good receiving numbers - making him one of the top-five RBs in the league, worth a first-round pick.

WR: Owens (1355 receiving yards, 15 TDs) will put up No. 1 receiver numbers again, if only because he'll make life miserable for Romo if he doesn't. He was fifth in the league in receiving yards last season and second in receiving TDs, and should be in that area again. In fact, his numbers will probably be better, because Dallas doesn't have any other reliable wide receivers. Terry Glenn's been cut and Patrick Crayton's mouth is a lot bigger than his game. Crayton had 697 receiving yards last season as Dallas' No. 2 receiver. By comparison, Glenn had 1047 in that role in 2006. So I'd rate Owens as the second-best fantasy receiver this season, behind Randy Moss and ahead of Reggie Wayne, who will be sharing catches with Marvin Harrison again.

TE: Witten was second among NFL tight ends with 1145 receiving yards last season, and was second with 96 catches, behind Tony Gonzalez in both categories. Witten's 7 TDs tied for fourth, but I'd still rate him as the second-best tight end. It's so hard to get quality TD points from tight ends (even the best get only about a TD every other game) that you need to rely on yardage, and Witten will again be Romo's second option, behind Owens. He should rack up 1100 yards easy. Again, I wouldn't draft a tight end until the next-to-last round, but Witten's the second-best TE out there.

K: Nick Folk's numbers weren't great last year. His 26 field goals tied for 12th, and he only made nine of more than 40 yards. But Dallas scored so often his 53 extra points were second, behind Stephen Gostkowski. Kickers shouldn't be taken until the last round, but Folk's a top-tier option, because Dallas will score a ton again. Plus he's in essentially a dome, and four of Dallas' last five games (excluding Week 17, when most fantasy leagues are over) are at home.

D: Dallas racked up 46 sacks and 39 turnovers last season, making the Cowboys a top-tier fantasy defense. Count on Dallas moving up to the top-5 this season. Pacman (sorry, I mean Adam) Jones will help greatly in the secondary, assuming he stays out of legal trouble. And Dallas plays in the NFC East, which means the only high-octane offense the Cowboys will face will be during practice.

One more thing: There's a chance Glenn re-signs with Dallas. And since not many other teams would be interested in an aging receiver coming off injury, it's more than a decent chance. He's not worth picking up if he does return, but he will take a few catches away from Owens. T.O. had only 1180 yards and 13 TDs in 2006. ... One more point of minor concern: Dallas' schedule in weeks 14-16, prime fantasy playoff season, are at Pittsburgh, vs. The Giants and vs. Baltimore. That's two strong defenses in Pitt and the Giants, with the possibility of a third tough foe.

One last thing: Off the fantasy path, but Wade Phillips is 0-4 as a coach in the playoffs. The guy doesn't know how to coach big games. Dallas will win the NFC East, but make it 0-5 come January.

Wednesday we'll take a look at the last NFC East team, the Philadelphia Eagles.  

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