Thursday Night Football Preview: Eagles vs. Cowboys

Football. Is. Here.

The Philadelphia Eagles begin their journey to defend their championship against America’s team on Thursday Night Football. The NFC East matchup is exciting for all football fans, but doubly so for fantasy football managers. All the offseason work has come to this moment. The start of the NFL season. And it starts with the Eagles and the Cowboys.

Let’s kick the season off right with a Thursday Night game preview.

Thursday Night Preview: Eagles vs. Cowboys

Players That are in Your Lineup

Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts (QB), Saquon Barkley (RB), A.J. Brown (WR), DeVonta Smith (WR)

With the departure of Micah Parsons, the Eagles’ offense is ready to run free against this Dallas defense. Saquon Barkley is opening up the season with a chance to finish the week as the RB1. Jalen Hurts and the rest of the Eagles’ passing attack are equally poised to smash for fantasy managers. Not that any of these players were going to stay on your bench on Week 1 anyway, but you can be confident in the Eagles offense to kick off the fantasy year.

Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott (QB), Ceedee Lamb (WR), George Pickens (WR), Jake Ferguson (TE)

This is the offense that everyone will be watching closely on Thursday. What exactly is this offense with a new head coach and George Pickens? A smart bettor would believe this team will pass the ball, and pass the ball a ton. With that in mind, we want to make sure we are starting the pass-catchers for Dallas. Ceedee Lamb was locked in regardless, but George Pickens and Jake Ferguson are players who should see a good amount of work in the season opener. If we believe in the pass-catchers, it makes sense to believe in the one getting them the ball. You may be questioning the decision for some of the night, but starting Prescott should be a solid play.

Fringe Playable Players

Dallas Goedert, TE, Philadelphia

Remember when Dallas Goedert went for 10 for 170 against the Saints last year? I don’t think we will see that against the Cowboys, but it’s fun to think it’s in the realm of possibility. There are plenty of other tight ends that managers would be starting over Goedert. But for those on the fence about Goedert, you could feel fine knowing he’s still a real part of this elite offense.

Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas

There will be plenty of managers who are forced into starting Javonte Williams this week. It may not feel great, but it is a necessary evil. I don’t see any of the other backs on this roster doing much of anything. Williams is at least the starter on paper, leading us to believe he will lead the backfield in touches. It won’t be much, but it will be something.

Players to Leave on the Bench

There aren’t many players that you would actively bench on the Eagles. I don’t think many players were trying to start Jahan Dotson or Grant Calcaterra, but on the off chance you were thinking about it, don’t.

Cowboys DST

I wouldn’t dare trot out the Cowboys defense without Micah Parsons against the Philly juggernaut. It’s just asking to have negative points on your team. Feel free to leave that defense on the waiver wire.

Players to Watch

Will Shipley, RB, Philadelphia

It’s strange to call the backup to Saquon as a player to watch, but it is something to take note of during this game. Barkley recorded his career high in rush attempts last season. It’s unclear if the Eagles want to give him that same workload in 2025. In this game, we may have our answer if Will Shipley mixes into the rotation a bit more throughout the night. If Shipley can spell Barkley effectively, he may end up as an interesting waiver add come Tuesday.

Jaydon Blue, RB, Dallas

Another backup running back, but this one is a bit more intriguing. Blue is a more explosive runner than Javonte Williams, but he’s sitting 3rd on the unofficial depth chart. The Cowboys are going to be trailing throughout this game, allowing Blue to showcase his receiving skillset. Hopefully, he can prove his worth to the Dallas coaching staff and provide us fantasy managers with a new promising RB on this Cowboys offense. Otherwise, it looks like it’ll be a long year, hoping Williams can do something productive.