The Dallas Cowboys have Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar splitting time this season and all three players are solid fantasy football start options in Week 2. Tony Romo is now without Dez Bryant for a long stretch and that could put Cole Beasley and Terrance Williams in positions to put up numbers and they could be fantasy football sleepers for the next 6-8 weeks.
The Cowboys won in Week 1, but they suffered a tough loss with the injury to Bryant and now he could be out for up to two months. According to the Dallas Morning News, Bryant had surgery on a broken fifth metatarsal in his foot and the procedure happened on Tuesday and could keep the wide receiver out for six to eight weeks. Some have speculated that Bryant could be out for longer, as the "Jones fracture" he suffered kept Kevin Durant out for most of the NBA season.
According to Pro Football Talk, Bryant said that the surgery "went great" and now the Cowboys have to find a way to make up for that lost production. Even if Bryant recovers well, he still should end up being out for at least a month or longer and it could take some time for him to get his rhythm back once he does return. The Cowboys have Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley as main wideout options moving forward and the team also added Brice Butler in a trade.
The Cowboys may push the running game more with Bryant out and that could mean more work for Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar. The team also has Christine Michael, but right now he is not a main part of the rotation. For fantasy owners, McFadden and Randle are the starters, but Dunbar showed some flashes on Sunday and he is a solid option in PPR leagues after making eight catches against the Giants. McFadden had just 16 yards in the game in Week 1 and he could be a bench option without more touches.
Depending on how things go with Bryant over the first few weeks, the team could also consider adding a free agent to the mix. According to ESPN Dallas, the Cowboys brought in a group of receivers for tryouts after Bryant's injury, including Hakeem Nicks, who was released by the Titans this summer. Nicks was among the group that included Nick Toon, Austin Pettis and Clyde Gates and if the Cowboys feel they need more depth, they could add one of those names to the mix.
The team looked at those wide receivers and then made a trade, as Brice Butler wrote on Twitter that he was traded to the Cowboys. According to NFL.com, the Cowboys gave up a conditional draft pick for Butler, who was a seventh round pick for the Raiders in 2013. Butler did not play much for the Raiders after being drafted and last season he had 21 catches for 280 yards. Butler could be a solid depth option for the Cowboys with Bryant out.
Check here for more on the Dallas Cowboys and the injury to Bryant.
