ESPN shows major faith in Cowboys RB Tony Pollard
The Dallas Cowboys seem to be confident in running back Tony Pollard. He projects to be next season's clear starter at RB, and the return of Ezekiel Elliott is still up in the air. Regardless, Pollard has been impressive over the past two seasons, and he deserves his shot to start for Dallas. ESPN's Mike […]
The Dallas Cowboys seem to be confident in running back Tony Pollard. He projects to be next season's clear starter at RB, and the return of Ezekiel Elliott is still up in the air. Regardless, Pollard has been impressive over the past two seasons, and he deserves his shot to start for Dallas.
ESPN's Mike Clay thinks that Pollard could have a monstrous season for the Cowboys if given the opportunities. Both in fantasy football and on the actual gridiron, he compared his production potential to that of Las Vegas Raiders RB josh Jacobs from last season. Jacobs led the NFL in rushing last year with 1,653 rushing yards.
Pollard is entering his fifth NFL season having yet to clear 193 carries or 232 touches in a single season. Of course, both of those career-high marks were set in 2022 and, for the first time since entering the league, he's Dallas' clear lead back following the offseason departure of Ezekiel Elliott (even if Elliott returns or another veteran is signed, Pollard's elite play suggests his role as lead back will not change). As a unit, the 2022 Cowboys RBs led the NFL in carries (462) and touches (524), and Pollard's current competition for those touches is the likes of Ronald Jones, Malik Davis and sixth-round rookie Deuce Vaughn. Pollard, who ranks third in yards per carry and first in YAC since he was drafted, is unlikely to match Jacobs' league-high 393 touches, but 300 or so is attainable and would lead to a strong RB1 fantasy campaign. — Clay
The current depth behind Pollard is unproven, and his productivity has been impressive over the last two years. Now, he should get his shot to be the full-time starter. He's climbing fantasy football draft boards, though, so get your stock in him sooner rather than later.
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