Elliott rejoined the Cowboys in the offseason and it sure looks like he'll get every chance to be their 1A running back once again. We're not expecting a return to what Elliott once was, and we wouldn't draft him before Round 9 in full PPR leagues. While Elliott's age and efficiency are both concerns, it is worth noting how much he mattered after Rhamondre Stevenson went down last year. Elliott averaged 15.9 PPR Fantasy points per game in the final six games of the season, which was good enough to make him a top-12 running back. He also averaged more than six targets per game in that stretch, and we don't expect him to have that type of workload in the passing game in Dallas. Still, we wouldn't exactly be shocked if he scored double-digit touchdowns and finished as a top-24 back. He's a nice target if you go zero-RB and need a starting running back Week 1.
Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Alternates possessions in Week 1
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Elliott rushed the ball 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over the Browns. He added two receptions for nine yards.
Elliott was on the field for Dallas' first possession, but he alternated drives with Rico Dowdle for the entirety of the game. Elliott was the more efficient of the duo by averaging 4.0 yards per carry, and he also plowed into the end zone from three yards away late in the second quarter. A continued even split between Elliott and Dowdle would be bad from a fantasy perspective for each rusher, though Dallas will presumably be willing to turn to one more consistently if either Elliott of Dowdle can prove effective with his opportunity.
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Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Likely to split work Week 1
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Elliott is expected to have a "pretty even split" of the reps out of the backfield with Rico Dowdle in Sunday's season opener in Cleveland, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Though the Cowboys could end up riding the hotter hand of the two backs as the game goes along, both Elliott and Dowdle look set to be part of the team's game plan to begin the contest. Pelissero adds that practice-squad member Dalvin Cook could factor into Dallas' backfield mix as soon as Week 2 against the Saints, but the Cowboys chose not to elevate Cook for Week 1, leaving Deuce Vaughn as the No. 3 option behind Elliott and Dowdle. With the threat of a timeshare with Dowdle on the table for at least Week 1, Elliott might not make for an especially enticing option in fantasy lineups outside of deeper leagues.
Elliott continued to splits first-team reps with Rico Dowdle during the Cowboys' joint practice with the Rams on Thursday, Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com reports.
After spending a season in New England and producing a career-low 3.5 yards per carry, Elliott returned to Dallas this offseason on a cheap, one-year contract, but the 29-year-old still appears headed for a significant workload. The Cowboys don't have a clear No. 1 option in the backfield following the departure of Tony Pollard, so Elliott and Dowdle seem primed to handle the majority of the carries, with Royce Freeman (groin) and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn (hamstring) also potentially in the mix. Elliott scored 24 total touchdowns with 2,257 scrimmage yards in 32 regular-season games over his last two seasons with the Cowboys, but it's highly unlikely he'll approach that level of production in 2024.
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Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Gets $1.75 million guaranteed
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Elliott's one-year, $2 million contract with the Cowboys includes $1.75 million guaranteed, and he can earn up to $1 million more via incentives, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
All of the incentives require Dallas making the playoffs, with the other parts entailing Elliott playing more than half the team's snaps ($500,000), scoring 10 touchdowns ($250,000) or reaching 1,100 yards from scrimmage ($250,000). He did all three of those things in 2021, and two of the three in his most recent season with the Cowboys (2022). A one-year sojourn to New England proved less productive, though Elliott handled some huge workloads late in the season after Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high-ankle injury, averaging 14.8 carries and 5.2 catches over the Patriots' final six games. The Cowboys probably won't call on him that often, even with their other backfield options -- Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner -- being less than stellar. The Cowboys didn't draft a running back in April, and none of their veterans besides Elliott has ever run for more than 521 yards in a season.
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Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: Returning to Dallas
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Elliott agreed to terms Monday to a contract with the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Pending a physical, Elliott will attempt to reignite his career in Dallas, the team with which he spent the first seven years of his NFL career and earned two All-Pro nods. The Cowboys recently lost Tony Pollard to free agency and, to the surprise of most analysts, opted not to select a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, giving Elliott an easy path to the No. 1 role in a backfield that also includes Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn (ankle). It's unclear how much the former rushing champ has left in the tank entering his age-29 season, as across 17 games with the Patriots last season he carried 184 times for just 642 yards (3.5 YPC) plus three scores, while adding a 51-313-2 receiving line.
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Ezekiel Elliott: Meeting with Dallas
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Elliott's agent will meet with the Cowboys in Dallas on Wednesday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
The two sides have been connected throughout the offseason, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reported last month that Elliott and the Cowboys had mutual interest in a reunion. The Cowboys lost Tony Pollard to the Titans in free agency and only added end-of-roster types Royce Freeman and Snoop Conner to a running back room that includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Malik Davis. Elliott played in all 17 games for the Patriots last season, carrying 184 times for 642 yards and three touchdowns while adding a 51-313-2 receiving line on 65 targets.
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Ezekiel Elliott: Could reunite with Dallas
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Elliott and the Cowboys have mutual interest in possibly reuniting, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Elliott, who currently remains a free agent and turns 29 in July, played out the 2023 season with the Patriots and suited up for all 17 regular-season games. He rushed 184 times for 642 yards and three touchdowns, with a substantially higher workload during the final five games while Rhamondre Stevenson missed time with an ankle injury. He spent the first seven years with the Cowboys, who currently have only Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn (ankle) and Malik Davis atop the depth chart, so a reunion could make real sense if Zeke is open to a relatively team-friendly deal.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Gets 18 touches in Week 18
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Elliott rushed 13 times for 54 yards and caught five of seven targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Jets.
Elliott accounted for most of New England's rushing production and almost half of Bailey Zappe's 12 completions, as the low-octane Patriots offense was stifled by the stout Jets defense in snowy conditions. The 28-year-old running back showed he still has some tread left on his tires with 372 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns over the final five weeks after Rhamondre Stevenson's season-ending ankle injury. Elliott will be an unrestricted free agent after rushing for 642 yards and three touchdowns on 184 carries and catching 51 of 65 targets for 313 yards and two touchdowns this season with the Patriots.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Finds end zone in Buffalo
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Elliott carried the ball 14 times for 39 yards and a touchdown and caught one of two targets for six yards in Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Bills.
For the third straight game, the veteran running back was held below 40 rushing yards and 3.0 yards per carry while starting in place of Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), but Elliott did score his first rushing TD since Week 7, which also came against Buffalo. The trade-off was a lack of production through the air. Elliott had posted a 21-126-2 line on 25 targets as a receiver in those three games, but Sunday it was second-year back Kevin Harris who made a bigger impact as a pass-catcher. Stevenson won't return this season, so Elliott should again get solid touch volume in Week 18 against the Jets, a team he posted a season-high 80 rushing yards against in their first meeting back in September.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Good to go against Buffalo
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Elliott (illness) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bills.
Elliott didn't practice Thursday due to an illness but was removed from the injury report after returning to practice Friday. The veteran running back is set to lead New England's backfield for a fourth consecutive game Sunday in the absence of Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle), with Kevin Harris and JaMycal Hasty comprising the running back depth behind Elliott.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Back at practice
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Elliott (illness) returned to practice Friday. Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald reports.
Elliott missed practice Thursday due to an illness, but his return to the field a day later puts him in line to be available to lead the Patriots' backfield Sunday against the Bills. The team's upcoming injury report will clarify whether Elliott carries a designation into the weekend or is fully cleared for Week 17 action.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Misses practice Thursday
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Elliott didn't practice Thursday due to an illness.
Elliott practiced fully Wednesday, but his absence from Thursday's session makes his status worth tracking as Sunday's game against the Bills approaches. If Elliott is able to suit up this weekend, he'll continue to lead the New England backfield after the Patriots placed Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) on injured reserve Wednesday.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Top DFS Play
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Elliott is still just $6.400 even though he has topped 20 PPR Fantasy points in two of his last three games. A negative game script is not a problem for him as his 11 targets from Week 16 illustrated.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Produces as pass catcher
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Elliott rushed the ball 12 times for 27 yards in Sunday's 26-23 win over the Broncos. He added nine receptions on 11 targets for 33 yards and a touchdown.
Elliott led the team with 12 rushing attempts due to Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) still being sidelined, though he surprisingly ceded seven carries to Kevin Harris. Despite his ineffectiveness on the ground, Elliott was a frequent dump-off option for Bailey Zappe and came through with a 15-yard touchdown catch early in the third quarter. Though he's failed to reach 30 rushing yards in his last two games while working extremely inefficiently on the ground, Elliott has at least five receptions in his last three contests, with two touchdowns in that span.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: RBs to Start
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Elliott only scored 9.6 PPR points in Week 15 against Kansas City, but I expect him to get back on track in Week 16 at Denver. Prior to Week 15, Elliott did well stepping in for Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) with at least 13.2 PPR points in two games against the Chargers and Steelers. He's been excellent in the passing game in his past three outings with 16 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets, and he should remain heavily involved as a receiver against the Broncos. It also helps that Denver is No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and five running backs have scored at least 14 PPR points against the Broncos in the past six games.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Modest numbers against KC
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Elliott carried the ball 11 times for 25 yards and caught five of six targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 27-17 loss to Kansas City.
With Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) sidelined for a second straight game, Elliott got another start but fell well short of last week's 140 scrimmage yards, and he watched Kevin Harris score his first TD of the season in the fourth quarter as the Patriots tried to mount a late comeback. Stevenson's return timeline remains unclear, but if he remains out in Week 16, Elliott should be much more productive against a Broncos defense that just got torn up for 185 rushing yards and a TD by the Lions' duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Top DFS Play
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They simply could not raise Ezekiel Elliott's price fast enough. Elliott is in line for 20-plus touches and a handful of targets against a Chiefs defense that is allowing 4.6 yards per carry and has been gashed by running backs over the past month. Elliott is the free space on the main slate this week.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Excels in versatile role Thursday
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Elliott rushed 22 times for 68 yards and brought in seven of eight targets for 72 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots' 21-18 win over the Steelers on Thursday night.
With Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) sidelined, Elliott had the Patriots' ground game all to himself, but it was his work as a pass catcher that really stood out. The veteran back led the Patriots in receptions and targets as Bailey Zappe utilized him heavily in the pass game, and Elliott recorded his first receiving touchdown since Week 16 of the 2021 season on an 11-yard grab to cap off New England's game-opening drive. Elliott also shouldered his heaviest workload on the ground since Week 5 of last season, when he logged the same number of carries with the Cowboys in a game against the Rams. Given his volume in the first installment of what's projected to be a multi-game absence for Stevenson, Elliott has solid fantasy prospects heading into a Week 15 home matchup against the Chiefs on Sunday, Dec. 17.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: Sit Him (Lineup Decisions)
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The Patriots O-line struggles to sustain blocks and the offense is so limited in moving the ball that it has played just 15 snaps inside the five-yard line this season -- somehow that's only third-worst. That limits Elliott's touchdown upside, and while the veteran has some solid lateral agility to make defenders miss and still has really good hands (a selling point for him in PPR!), he's just not fast enough to create a bunch of breakaway plays. I'm also not sure the Patriots will put everything on Elliott's plate when they've rarely let one back handle nearly every snap this year -- going into Week 13, Rhamondre Stevenson had played under 70% of the snaps in eight of his prior nine games. Could Elliott get 15 touches including three or more catches? *That* feels safe, but everything else is a significant risk, even against a defense that's going through some run defense issues like the Steelers. He's at best a low-end RB2 in full PPR and otherwise a low-upside play. I'd rather start Keaton Mitchell, Joe Mixon and Chuba Hubbard.
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Patriots' Ezekiel Elliott: RBs to Start
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As bad as things have been offensively for the Patriots this season, a running back has scored at least 13.2 PPR points in six of the past seven games. The majority of that has been Rhamondre Stevenson, but Elliott reached that total in Week 13 against the Chargers when Stevenson injured his ankle. He had 21 total touches against the Chargers, including four catches for 40 yards on five targets, and his role in the passing game should be important. Stevenson, who might be out for the season with his ankle injury, is one of 10 running backs this year with at least 50 targets. And the New England backfield is No. 6 in the NFL with 66 receptions. I like Elliott as a No. 2 running back this week against the Steelers, who have allowed five of the past eight running backs to score at least 13.6 PPR points.
