Player Outlook
Ezekiel Elliott lived up to the hype in 15 games as a rookie, but he won't play in that many in 2017. Elliott was suspended without pay for six games by the NFL on Aug. 11 for violating the league's Personal Conduct Policy. Assuming the ban stands following his appeal, it means Elliott won't play until Week 8 at Washington because the Cowboys have their bye in Week 6 (and that week doesn't count toward the suspension). If the suspension is reduced to four games, Elliott will be eligible to return in Week 5 at Green Bay. No doubt, Elliott proved last season he was a monster stat producer, averaging 18.7 Fantasy points per game and scoring 10-plus Fantasy points in every game he played. If that average were to hold over 10 games, he still would have a shot at finishing as a top-10 Fantasy rusher on the season. While he has the potential to turn your team into a powerhouse heading into the Fantasy postseason, he also will take up a bench spot for the first seven weeks of the season. Filling in his spot with Darren McFadden isn't exactly a recipe for success, but other running backs expected to be taken in or after Round 6 like Bilal Powell, Frank Gore, Kareem Hunt, Terrance West, LeGarrette Blount and Jonathan Stewart will not only serve as replacements but also don't have byes until after Elliott's Week 8 return. Given the number of rushers Fantasy owners could settle on beginning around 70th overall on Draft Day, Elliott is worth waiting for. We'd take him anywhere from 24th on in drafts (imagine drafting David Johnson and Ezekiel Elliott?!) and wait out his return with lofty expectations.
Player News
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Elliott's appeal of his six-game suspension will take place Aug. 29 in front of arbiter Harold Henderson, ESPN.com's Todd Archer reports. Henderson was also the arbiter for appeals from Greg Hardy and Adrian Peterson, with Hardy getting a reduction from 10 games to four, while Peterson's indefinite suspension was upheld. The battle already has become heated, with the NFL accusing the NFLPA of "spreading derogatory information" about the alleged victim to the media, which caused the NFLPA to fire back with a tweet stating that "the public statement issued on behalf of every NFL owner is a lie." While the star running back could file a federal lawsuit if his suspension is upheld, there's no real precedent for a player having success with that approach when it comes to violations of the league's personal conduct policy. Tom Brady was able to delay serving a suspension for a year, but his case was unique in its complexity.
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Elliott filed his appeal of a six-game suspension with the NFL on Tuesday, ESPN.com reports. The move is procedural but expected, as Elliott seeks a reduction of his ban for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy. The league office must schedule a hearing within 10 days of receiving paperwork from the running back, but it's unclear if an adjustment, if any, will occur before the regular season kicks off. At the moment, Elliott can attend all practices and play in all preseason games before the final roster cut date of Sept. 2, at which point the suspension will begin.
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Elliott will appeal the six-game suspension he was handed Friday for violating the league's personal conduct policy, NFL.com reports. Elliott's representatives released a statement following his suspension, saying the NFL's findings are 'replete with factual inaccuracies and erroneous conclusions.' The case in question is a domestic violence allegation made against Elliott in 2016. As it stands, Elliott will be unable to play until Week 8 against the Redskins.
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Elliott has been suspended six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Elliott has been the subject of a lengthy investigation and review process surrounding his personal conduct, which despite not resulting in formal legal charges, will prevent him from playing six games this season. The punishment is a massive blow to the Cowboys and Elliott's fantasy owners, who will now have to replace the man that finished tied for third in MVP voting as a rookie last season. According to Schefter, Elliott is expected to appeal the ruling, which should keep his case in the news going forward. Following Friday's report, however, it appears Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris will lead Dallas' rushing attack to begin this season.
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Elliott may be suspended as many as six games, Jane Slater of NFL Network reports. Take this speculative report with a grain of salt, but clarity on any potential league discipline for Elliott could arrive on Friday. However, the fact that both Slater and NFL Network colleague Ian Rapoport of NFL Network mentioned six games as a "benchmark" means the first-round running back may receive a longer punishment than initially expected. At least most fantasy drafters will have time to tell whether Elliott will be kept out for a significant chunk of the season, which will heavily influence his draft-day price. Darren McFadden stands to serve as lead back for the Cowboys for however long Elliott might sit.
Recent Tweets
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12:48 am ET / @drewdavisonDrew Davison
Defense wasn't happy about this flag on Jeff Heath, breaking up pass to Ezekiel Elliott. https://t.co/hgRw05NvcX
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12:37 am ET / @robphillips3Rob Phillips
Zeke Elliott with back to back TD catches against Damien Wilson in compete period. Two days in a row, shown off his receiving skills.
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12:36 am ET / @drewdavison
Drew Davison
Ezekiel Elliott doesn't seem worried about suspension after getting by Damien Wilson. https://t.co/LYFHHR2eJB
Completed Games
| WK | OPP | RUATT | RUYD | RUTD | RECPT | REYD | RETD | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NYG | 20 | 51 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| 2 | @WAS | 21 | 83 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 14 |
| 3 | CHI | 30 | 140 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 16 |
| 4 | @SF | 23 | 138 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 0 | 20 |
| 5 | CIN | 15 | 134 | 2 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 28 |
| 6 | @GB | 28 | 157 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 0 | 16 |
| 7 | BYE | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 8 | PHI | 22 | 96 | 0 | 4 | 52 | 0 | 14 |
| 9 | @CLE | 18 | 92 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 21 |
| 10 | @PIT | 21 | 114 | 2 | 2 | 95 | 1 | 38 |
| 11 | BAL | 25 | 97 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 0 | 12 |
| 12 | WAS | 20 | 97 | 2 | 2 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| 13 | @MIN | 20 | 86 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 0 | 15 |
| 14 | @NYG | 24 | 107 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 15 | TB | 23 | 159 | 1 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 23 |
| 16 | DET | 12 | 80 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 21 |
| *17 | @PHI | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PROJECTION | 217 | 1077 | 7 | 21 | 232 | 0.6 | 160.6 | |
| * indicates player did not play that week | ||||||||
Scheduled Games
| WK | DATE | OPP | OPP RANK | OPP FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/11 | New York Giants | 7 | 14.88 |
| 2 | 09/17 | @Denver Broncos | 20 | 18.13 |
| 3 | 09/26 | @Arizona Cardinals | 3 | 14.38 |
| 4 | 10/01 | Los Angeles Rams | 14 | 16.63 |
| 5 | 10/08 | Green Bay Packers | 11 | 15.42 |
| 6 | BYE | - | - | - |
| 7 | 10/22 | @San Francisco 49ers | 33 | 27.13 |
| 8 | 10/29 | @Washington Redskins | 29 | 20.50 |
| 9 | 11/05 | Kansas City Chiefs | 17 | 17.59 |
| 10 | 11/12 | @Atlanta Falcons | 24 | 19.37 |
| 11 | 11/20 | Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 15.13 |
| 12 | 11/23 | Los Angeles Chargers | 27 | 19.88 |
| 13 | 12/01 | Washington Redskins | 29 | 20.50 |
| 14 | 12/10 | @New York Giants | 7 | 14.88 |
| 15 | 12/18 | @Oakland Raiders | 25 | 19.71 |
| 16 | 12/24 | Seattle Seahawks | 5 | 14.78 |
| 17 | 12/31 | @Philadelphia Eagles | 8 | 15.13 |
Team Trends
Career Stats
| Season | RuAtt | RuYd | RuTD | Recpt | ReYd | ReTD | FPTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 322 | 1631 | 15 | 32 | 363 | 1 | 295 |
| 3 Year Avg | 322 | 1631 | 15 | 32 | 363 | 1 | 295 |
| Career | 322 | 1631 | 15 | 32 | 363 | 1 |