Evan Silva’s Matchups: Week 17

DAL @ WAS | DET @ MIN | DEN @ KC | HOU @ LAC | BAL @ GB | ARI @ CIN | PIT @ CLE | NO @ TEN | JAX @ IND | TB @ MIA | NE @ NYJ | SEA @ CAR | NYG @ LV | PHI @ BUF | CHI @ SF | LAR @ ATL

Christmas Day Football

1:00 PM ET Game

Dallas @ Washington

Team Totals: Cowboys 28.5, Commanders 21.5

Both participants in Thursday’s initial game have been eliminated from playoff contention, but the Cowboys have things to play for. Dak Prescott enters Week 17 four yards shy of Matthew Stafford for the league lead in passing yards; no Cowboys quarterback has ever led the NFL in passing. On Tuesday, Brian Schottenheimer made it clear that Dallas will go all out to finish the season. Prescott should be able to do almost anything he wants against the Commanders’ sieve-ish pass defense. … Javonte Williams has played through a neck stinger in recent weeks, but Schottenheimer said Tuesday that he thinks Williams “will be ready to go for his normal workload” at Washington. Williams is sixth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,147) with lots of room to climb. And he was arguably an NFC Pro Bowl snub. On a short week, Malik Davis still warrants a mention on Christmas DFS tournament slates.

Only four defenses have given up more fantasy points to wide receivers than Dan Quinn’s; there are zero matchup concerns for CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens here. And this is a big stat-padding opportunity for both with Prescott vying for the league passing-yardage lead, Pickens winding down his contract year, and Lamb looking to end a frustrating season on a high note. Both can go off. … Ryan Flournoy injured his knee in last Sunday’s loss to the Chargers and did not practice on Tuesday. If he can’t go, we’ll likely see some combo of Jonathan Mingo and KaVontae Turpin in Dallas’ No. 3 receiver role. …. As Cowboys fans’ calls for Luke Schoonmaker to log more snaps have gone unanswered, badly-slumping Jake Ferguson remains a low-floor, TD-or-bust TE1/2. He’s hit paydirt once since Week 7.

Sans Jayden Daniels (elbow, I.R.) and Marcus Mariota (hand/quad), the Commanders will ostensibly turn to 18th-year journeyman Josh Johnson with 11th-team journeyman Jeff Driskel and second-year UDFA practice squadder Sam Hartman in the background. (I actually think it makes the most sense for Washington to trot out Hartman, but that’s just my opinion.) Johnson is a plus-mobility dual threat, while Dallas’ defense has resumed struggling mightily, having coughed up point totals of 34, 34, 44, and 31 over its last four games. Assuming we get confirmation before kickoff that Johnson is definitely the guy over Driskel and Hartman, he’ll be playable in two-QB leagues and in Christmas DFS. … Chris Rodriguez Jr. operated as Washington’s primary back in last week’s loss to Philadelphia with Jacory Croskey-Merritt changing the pace and Jeremy McNichols in his usual passing-down role. Rodriguez played well enough to confidently maintain lead-back duties, although McNichols could get heavily involved if the Commanders fall behind, and they are 7-point dogs here. … With nine pass attempts on the season, we have no on-field connection history from which to draw between Johnson and his pass catchers. Last Saturday, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, and Treylon Burks formed the Commanders’ three-receiver set. Ben Sinnott was the primary receiving tight end over John Bates.

Score Prediction: Cowboys 30, Commanders 21