Sleeper Watch

Make no mistake – the Dallas Cowboys will not be among the elite fantasy defenses this year. They haven’t performed badly so far, allowing 304 yards of offense per game so far, including a very stingy 72.3 yards rushing, but although that total is less than that of highly-touted defenses such as Carolina (331.7 yards per game), the Cowboys are strictly middle of the road in terms of fantasy production, thanks in part to low sack (4) and interception (3) totals.

Nonetheless, Dallas’ defense might turn into a valuable commodity as a bye-week fill-in in the upcoming weeks. Beginning with a home game against Arizona in week 5, the Cowboys have a string of less-than-daunting opponents on their schedule. The struggling Eagles, who have scored the fewest points in the league so far, come to town in week 6, followed by away games against Detroit and Tampa Bay.

If your primary defense is on a bye at any time during that stretch, you could do worse than to consider Dallas as your fill-in, although you should of course take a close look at all available defenses as well as the schedule to find the best fit.