Sunday night’s Cowboys-Giants matchup comes in with one of the biggest totals on the Week 1 board, and that kind of environment usually forces DFS players into a simple question: where do you start when the slate is loaded with star power?
For this showdown, the cleanest answer is Javonte Williams. The Cowboys back is priced at DK:$9,000 and FD:$9,800, and the path to a monster workload is wide open. Jaydon Blue was released before the season, and Malik Davis is on season-ending injured reserve after a hip injury, which leaves Williams as the clear lead runner in Dallas’ backfield.
That role matters even more because Williams has already shown he can punish this Giants defense. In his only matchup against New York last season, he put up 25.0 FPPG in PPR formats.
With little competition for touches, the setup points to another heavy-volume night. He’s expensive, but not so expensive that he locks DFS players out of the rest of the roster.
If Williams is the captain, there’s still room to stack Dak Prescott at DK: $10,400 / FD: $12,600 and Jaxson Dart at DK: $9,600 / FD: $10,800, then round things out with a couple of lower-owned pass catchers.
That combination is exactly why Williams should be near the top of every lineup build, no matter the contest type. He has the workload, the salary fits, and the history against this opponent.
The kickers also deserve real attention in a game that projects to produce points. Brandon Aubrey, priced at DK: $5,400 / FD: $6,800, has already built a reputation as one of fantasy’s most reliable kickers, with multiple K1 finishes in his young career.
In three games at the Meadowlands, he has scored 5.0, 11.0 and 10.0 fantasy points. That 5.0-point outing came in a game where Prescott, Williams and CeeDee Lamb all sat, which cut into the kicking chances.
The 11.0 and 10.0 performances are the better guide here, and they make Aubrey a strong showdown option.
On the other side, the Giants are bringing in rookie kicker Dominic Zvada at DK: $4,800 / FD: $6,400 for his NFL regular season debut. He was perfect in the preseason, hitting all five field-goal attempts, and he shouldn’t carry the kind of ownership that the more established names do. In a game with scoring upside, that kind of leverage can matter.
There’s also uncertainty around Nabers, with Nabers and head coach John Harbaugh being discreet about the wide receiver’s availability and snap count in the contest. Because of that, DFS players may be better off looking elsewhere for Giants pass-catching value.
That opens the door for Isaiah Likely at DK: $6,400 / FD: $8,200, Darnell Mooney at DK: $4,000 / FD: $7,200 and Malachi Fields at DK: $5,000 / FD: $7,600. All three bring value at different price points, and Likely and Fields stand out in particular because of what they can do in the red zone. If you want to build around a cheaper Giants receiving piece, those are the names to target.
In GPPs, there’s even a route to loading up on all three catchers, pairing them with Dart, Williams and Aubrey to build around a Cowboys-led script. That construction keeps the lineup alive if Dallas controls the game and still leaves room for production on both sides.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
In Other News...
Cowboys Trade Deadline Hope Just Got Much Tougher For Jerry Jones
The Cowboys have spent much of this stretch keeping an eye on the leagues biggest defensive names, and Maxx Crosby has been near the top of that list for good reason. Dallas was among the finalists when trade talks around the star edge rusher picked up earlier, and Jerry Jones has made clear he is willing to look for help if it can raise the ceiling of a defense that still needs impact talent.
But the path to any blockbuster just got a lot murkier. The Rams also tried to get involved, only to hear Crosby tell them and other interested teams that he does not want to be dealt and would prefer to stay with the Raiders, which leaves Dallas in a familiar holding pattern as the November 10 deadline approaches. The Cowboys have not closed the door on revisiting the chase, but for now the biggest obstacle is not price, it is whether Crosby is even available in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Have A Cornerback Opportunity That Could Come At A Cost
Cornerback help is the kind of thing that can reshape a defense fast, and Joey Porter Jr. has suddenly entered the conversation as a name worth watching. Contract talks between Porter and the Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly stalled, and he is open to playing elsewhere, which is enough to put several teams on alert. The Steelers have been willing to listen to trade offers, but their asking price has kept the market quiet so far.
For the Cowboys, the appeal is obvious. They have cap space and draft capital, two things that can make a bold trade more realistic if they decide Porter is the right fit. The cost is the real question, though, because Pittsburgh is said to be seeking a premium pick, and Dallas would have to decide how much it wants to pay for a cornerback opportunity that could strengthen the roster but also reshape how it handles its future draft resources. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Secondary Suddenly Faces A Huge Week 1 Question
As the Cowboys get ready to open the 2026-27 season against the Giants, one of the early Week 1 storylines has shifted to New Yorks receiver room. Malik Nabers, who is coming back from a torn ACL and meniscus repair, was reportedly named in the Giants starting lineup by a PA announcer, a sign that he may be in line to take the field in the opener.
For Dallas, that turns a familiar division matchup into a more complicated first test for the secondary. Nabers is still not officially confirmed to play until the Giants release their inactives before kickoff, so the Cowboys will have to prepare as if the threat is real while still waiting on the final word. Either way, its the kind of late-week uncertainty that can change how a defense approaches opening night. [Read more 🡒]