The Dallas Cowboys travel to face the San Francisco 49ers to wrap up the NFL’s Divisional Playoff round. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 22, and will mark a rematch of last year’s playoff matchup between these same two teams. Tony Pollard has been one of the most impactful players in Dallas’ offense this year, but can he overcome the strong 49ers run defense?
Fantasy Football analysis: Cowboys RB Tony Pollard ($6,100)
Pollard is priced as the third-most expensive tailback on Sunday’s slate of games and is ahead of his fellow backfield teammate Ezekiel Elliot, who is priced at $5,400. In last year’s divisional round, Pollard was largely irrelevant against this 49ers' defense, finishing with just four carries for 14 yards and two receptions for 12 yards.
Clearly, Pollard’s role in Dallas’ offense has increased, but that won’t make San Francisco’s defense any less daunting of a challenge.
The 49ers had the NFL’s second-best run defense in allowing just 79.2 yards per game on the ground, and last week the Seahawks had 104 rushing yards with an average of 4.2 yards per carry. The caveat here is whether or not the game script will play into the hope that the Cowboys control the time of possession with an ample number of running plays. If San Francisco builds a quick double-digit lead, Pollard could see fewer touches and instead require a high volume of targets to remain fantasy relevant.
Fantasy Start/Sit Recommendation
Sit. Pollard is a true risky play to start in DFS as he’s struggled to put together many elite performances over the last few weeks, which happens to coincide with a thigh injury he’s been dealing with. Despite the Cowboys dominating the Buccaneers last week, Pollard finished with just 77 scoreless yards. As arguably a boom-or-bust option, it’s better to find more confident running back options in the Divisional Round.