Finally, there is some optimism surrounding the contract negotiations between the Dallas Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott. The two parties are aiming to finalize a new deal this weekend, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that would end Elliott’s holdout.
Dallas will breathe a collective sigh of relief — and so will Elliott’s fantasy football owners. For the first time in the 2019 season, fantasy football owners can feel good about drafting Elliott in the top five.
As the Cowboys could retain Elliott for the next two years on his rookie contract, owner and general manager Jerry Jones had a great deal of leverage. Still, Elliott wanted a deal that made him the highest-paid back in the NFL, according to NFL Network. It seemed like it could get messy. On Friday, Jones took his latest jab at Elliott, making the case that because Elliott hasn’t already led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl, he isn’t a vital “ingredient.”
Because of that potentially contentious situation, Elliott has been been one of the biggest conundrums for fantasy football owners. Where do you draft him? ESPN and Yahoo! had him ranked within the top 10 picks, but Elliott tended to slide as the regular season drew closer. After running back Le’Veon Bell skipped the entire 2018 season, drafting Elliott seemed liked a proposition decision — just like Chargers running back Melvin Gordon, whose holdout has yet to produce any optimistic news.
As the negotiations between Elliott and the Cowboys wind down, Elliott moves back into consideration for the No. 1 overall pick, and certainly shouldn’t fall out of the top five picks. He’s going to be a monster in 2019, just like he’s been for the Cowboys in past years.
Dallas has a better offense than the New York Giants, who feature the most popular No. 1 overall pick, Saquon Barkley. Elliott will probably get more touches than the Saints’ Alvin Kamara and has more years of success than the Panthers’ Christian McCaffrey. Elliott has returned to being a can’t-miss fantasy football option. It’s time to starting drafting him as such, even if he’s not fully prepared for Week 1.
