New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys Matchup Preview 9/8/19: Analysis, Depth Charts, Betting Picks, Daily Fantasy

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A classic battle that was been a staple for Week 1 of late belongs in Dallas this season. The Cowboys are taking on the Giants, as both franchises have been going in opposite directions over the last few seasons. While the Giants have their long term running back of the future, it took all offseason, but the Cowboys have finally extended Ezekiel Elliot’s contract. Now the eyes will be on Dak Prescott, who wants a new deal. Dallas come in as touchdown favorites against a Giants team that projects to be a bottom eight team this season. Both games last season were very close, as they were both within one possession come the final seconds. For odds line movement, and full matchup history, see the New York Giants At Dallas Cowboys Matchup Page.

TV Schedule

Date: Sunday, September 8th, 2019
Time: 4:25 ET
Location: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
Coverage: FOX

Injury Report

New York Giants: Sterling Shepard (P)
Dallas Cowboys: Robert Quinn (O)

New York Giants Analysis

Despite taking a quarterback in the draft with their top ten pick, the Giants will turn to Eli Manning to at least start the season. We will see how the Giants move on from Odell Beckham, but we have also seen these names step up in his absence before. Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram will be names to watch against a solid Dallas secondary. Saquon Barkley didn’t get much going in the first game against Dallas last season, but did have 14 catches. In the last game of the season, Barkley topped 100 yards against a very good Cowboys defense. It might be tough sledding against, as this Cowboys defense projects to be good against the run, as they ranked 5th against the run last season.

The Giants defense struggled against both the pass and the run last season, but added on the defensive side through the draft and trade. Deandre Baker and Dexter Lawrence both project to be defensive starters in their rookie year, and Julian Love should see some snaps in the secondary as well. While we might not see an immediate upgrade in numbers, this defense is on the right path. They also received Jabrill Peppers in the OBJ trade. This defense will be tested against one of the better rushing attacks in football.

New York Giants Depth Chart

QB: Eli Manning
RB1: Saquon Barkley
WR1: Sterling Shepard
WR2: Cody Latimer
WR3: Bennie Fowler
TE: Evan Engram

Dallas Cowboys Analysis

Now that the Ezekiel Elliot drama is done, and Amari Cooper is not dealing with an injury anymore, the Cowboys have their stars ready to go for Week 1. Dallas won both games last season, and will be in contention for the division with the Philadelphia Eagles. In four games against New York, Elliot has rushed for over 300 yards, although one of those games he hardly played late in the year. The defense will be looking to slow down Saquon Barkley, which is going to be the goal of all defenses. Barkley had over 200 all-purpose yards in two games against Dallas last year.

The Giants ranked 26th against WR1s last season, which puts Amari Cooper in a good spot for Week 1. He was the guy down the stretch for Dallas’ passing game, although a lot of production was limited to just a few games. The Giants were middle of the road against other wideouts, but Michael Gallup is someone I have my eye on this season for a bigger year. New York also fared well against pass-catching backs, limiting them to 40 receiving yards per game. Elliot has been more involved in the passing game, which adds to his floor in fantasy on a weekly basis.

Dallas Cowboys Depth Chart

QB: Dak Prescott
RB1: Ezekiel Elliott
RB2: Tony Pollard
WR1: Amari Cooper
WR2: Michael Gallup
WR3: Randall Cobb
TE: Jason Witten

Betting Pick: Cowboys -7

Dallas opened as touchdown favorites, and the line has not really moved since Ezekiel Elliot signed. Not a big deal, but just something to note. The Cowboys failed to cover this spread both times last season, and despite the talent difference, these games always tend to be close. The Giants were 5-1 ATS with a spread of +7 -10 last season. The over/under is a rather lackluster total sitting at 45.5, and that seems to be the consistent total with this matchup. Dallas is a time of possession team, and the Giants don’t put up points in a consistent matter. The Giants averaged under 20 points on the road last season. With the Cowboys defense set for another big year, I would expect Dallas to control this game and limit overall points in the game. The Lineups Bet Predictor is backing Dallas here and the over is actually predicted in a surprising manner.

Daily Fantasy: Better Options Elsewhere.

Dallas has a strong defense that is going to have me shy away from using any Giants in a daily fantasy format. Saquon Barkley is always going to be in play given the elite talent and volume, but I won’t be actively seeking him out in daily fantasy formats. I would be more invested in the Cowboys side of things. Amari Cooper is a solid tournament play this week, and isn’t generating a lot of buzz. Also now that Ezekiel Elliot is back, this is a good situation for him as a home favorite against the Giants defense that ranked 20th against the run last season. This likely won’t be the barn burning game like we saw in Week 17 last year.