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Top Five 2013 Fantasy Football Players: Dallas Cowboys


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Top 5 Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Football Players

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

On paper, the Dallas Cowboys have one of the most star-studded rosters in the NFL.

However, under head coach Jason Garrett the Cowboys have been treading water to keep themselves above .500 going just 21-19 during his tenure as head coach. That being said, the Cowboys' offense has ranked in the top-10 in terms of yardage, but has been a disappointment when it comes to red zone scoring, finishing ranked 15th in the league in points scored in 2012.

Last season the Cowboys started the year 3-5 thanks in part to quarterback Tony Romo’s 13 interceptions during the first eight games of the season. Yet no one can deny that Romo was also the reason they made a playoff push in the second-half of the season where he threw for 18 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Thanks to the six-year $108 million commitment that Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones made to Romo, he’s going to be the Cowboys signal caller for the foreseeable future, however, unless the Cowboys improve drastically the same can’t be said for Garrett.

From top-to-bottom there are household names in key areas of the Cowboys roster that everyone knows, not only because they’re the Cowboys, but also because they’re valued commodities in all fantasy football formats. This year the Cowboys hope to turn things around after a dismal 8-8 season in 2012, and have added even more pieces to an already dangerous offensive system.

On defense, the Cowboys are switching from a 3-4 base defense to a 4-3 base defense under the guidance of Monte Kiffin and former Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. I don’t know if you saw what the Bears did on defense last year, but if the Cowboys can replicate half of the success the Bears had under Kiffin and Marinelli, then look out.

As you prep to try and dominate your fantasy football league, these are the top five Cowboys fantasy football players for 2013, and guys that you should be targeting.

Jesus Flores is a Dallas Cowboys writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SSgtFlo1 or add him to your network on Google

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Miles Austin (10-team ADP 9.03)

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Unfortunately for Austin, Dez Bryant is the clear-cut receiver you want to own if you’re going to draft a Cowboys receiver. Austin, however, has some upside because defenses are going to be zeroed in on Bryant and tight end Jason Witten. The move back into the slot in three-wide sets should resurrect Austin’s career and could mean that he has a big year hauling in touchdowns.

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DeMarco Murray (10-team ADP 3.08)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

I’ve been on the Murray bandwagon since he was drafted back in 2011. Now in his third year as a pro, it’s put up or shut up time for Murray. I know there’s some risk involved with drafting Murray, due to his injury history, but with the Cowboys finally adapting their offensive scheme to Murray’s strengths this could be the year he breaks out.

Right now it appears that Lance Dunbar is going to win the No.2 spot behind Murray, so it’s safe to say that you should handcuff Dunbar to Murray.

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Jason Witten (10-team ADP 6.08)

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Last season Witten was a fantasy gift. He caught a career high 110 receptions and led all tight ends with 147 targets. I don’t think he’ll replicate those numbers this year, but I will say that he will continue to be productive despite the Cowboys going to multiple tight end sets.

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Dez Bryant (10-team ADP 2.05)

Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Bryant had 1,382 yards and 12 TDs in 2012, and I think that was just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of doing. His emergence over the second half of the year was a key reason why the Cowboys managed to get back into the playoff hunt late in the year. He’s got an elite talent, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he hauls in more than 100 catches in 2013.

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Tony Romo (10-team ADP 9.02)

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

People love to hate on Romo. Most of it is because people hate the Cowboys in general and because people say Romo can’t win in the clutch. However, nothing mentioned above has anything to do with fantasy football.

In fact, Romo has been a top-10 fantasy quarterback the past three seasons, and if you manage to snag him up in the ninth round as his average draft position indicates, you might have gotten yourself a steal. As I said, people love to hate Romo, so exploit their ignorance and grab yourself one of, if not, the most undervalued fantasy quarterback available.



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