Dak Prescott

Expectations were high for Prescott entering last season, and he lived up to even the loftiest, finishing second in QB fantasy scoring. His 4,902 passing yards, which fell one yard short of the franchise single-season record, ranked second in the NFL, and he also finished fourth in TD passes (30) and fifth in YPA (8.2). His career year was due in part to refined throwing mechanics, improved footwork and better weight distribution that he said allowed him to get more torque on the ball. That helped him improve his bad-pass percentage to 18.5 (7th), and his 65.1 completion percentage (13th) would have been higher had it not been for a league-leading 43 dropped passes - 7.2 percent, highest among QBs with at least 300 attempts. He also increased his average depth of target by nearly two full yards - 8.0 to 9.9, ranking fourth. After struggling in the red zone in 2018, he improved his TD percentage by nearly 10 points to 26.2, but the Cowboys didn't pass much in the red zone (27th), especially inside the 10 (29th). Perhaps that changes with new head coach Mike McCarthy, though OC Kellen Moore is back for his second season after taking the offense from 22nd to first in yards last season. The dual-threat Prescott again has quality receivers in Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and first-round pick CeeDee Lamb, plus elite RB Ezekiel Elliott. And even with center Travis Frederick retiring, Dallas still has a star-studded O-line. The biggest issue might be Prescott's contract, though his decision to sign a franchise tag suggests he isn't anticipating a holdout.

Prescott hasn't quite delivered on the promise of his rookie season, but respectable passing efficiency (67.7 completion percentage, 7.4 YPA last season) combined with excellent running ability (six rushing TDs every year) make him an intriguing fantasy quarterback. The biggest thing for him last year was the midseason addition of wide receiver Amari Cooper. In nine weeks with Cooper in the offense, Prescott averaged 19.3 fantasy points, completing 71.3 percent of his passes for 7.7 YPA, 14 touchdowns (six to Cooper) and four interceptions, with 274 passing yards per game. With or without Cooper, Prescott struggled in the red zone all year - he converted just 17.1 percent of his red-zone pass attempts into touchdowns, 30th of 33 qualified QBs. Maybe the unretired Jason Witten can help with that this season. In addition to Witten, Randall Cobb is new to the team, replacing Cole Beasley in the slot. Wideout Michael Gallup should contribute more in his second year, too. With Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield, defenses usually will be focused first on stopping the run, which perhaps helps the passing game. All in all, Prescott is set up with his best opportunity for fantasy success yet.

After an impressive rookie season, Prescott disappointed last year. He went from fourth in the league in YPA to 20th, his completion percentage dropped by five points and, worst of all, his interceptions ballooned from four to 13. The only thing that kept him afloat was a second straight year with six rushing touchdowns, along with an uptick from 4.9 YPC to 6.3. While his decision-making was suspect, especially in the red zone where he threw three interceptions (2nd in NFL) and took six sacks (3rd), Prescott didn't get a lot of help from the rest of the offense. The line lacked depth and suffered injuries, most significantly to Tyron Smith; Dez Bryant caught just 52.3 percent of his targets and the wideouts averaged a mere 3.8 yards after catch; and, of course, Ezekiel Elliott was suspended six games. Without Elliott, Prescott broke 200 yards passing just twice and threw seven interceptions as defenses dropped into coverage without fear of the running game. Smith missed the first two of those games and Prescott was sacked 12 times, accounting for more than a third of his season total. The Cowboys added depth to the line this offseason, but health is probably more important. Big changes came to the pass catchers - namely, Bryant was released and tight end Jason Witten retired - but there is seemingly little to get excited about. The Cowboys added Allen Hurns, who hasn't played a full season since 2014, and Tavon Austin, whose best position might be punt returner. Incumbent starter Terrance Williams is coming off foot surgery and was arrested in May. In a run-first offense, Prescott might be relegated to a game-manager role, but his rushing ability at least gives him some stability.

Prescott was handed the starting job last year when Tomo Romo got hurt in preseason, and the rookie never gave it back. He stepped into a great situation for a young quarterback with perhaps the league's best offensive line protecting him -- he was sacked only 25 times (23rd) and knocked down an additional 2.6 times per game -- and a workhorse running back in fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott with whom to share the playmaking duties. With Elliott chewing up five yards a rush, little was asked of Prescott other than to not make mistakes. And that he did superbly, throwing only four interceptions for a 0.9 INT rate that ranked second to only Tom Brady's. His completion percentage and YPA both ranked fourth in the league in an impressive debut that proved his athleticism, arm strength and leadership are legit as he took the Cowboys to the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC. Although Elliott is still the show, Prescott likely will see more pass attempts this year (23rd last year), and if playmaking wide receiver Dez Bryant stays healthy for the first time in three years, that should mean bigger passing numbers for the quarterback, giving him a shot to stay in the top 10 at the position due in large part to his running upside (six TDs last year).

After a stellar career at Mississippi State, Prescott was drafted in the fourth round to potentially become the Cowboys' quarterback of the future, but Tony Romo suffered yet another debilitating injury this preseason, thrusting the rookie into the limelight for earlier than expected. While Prescott has the size, athleticism and arm strength NFL teams look for, as well as proven leadership qualities, his pocket awareness was considered shaky coming out of college and his throwing mechanics needed overhauling. Alas, through three exhibitions, he's tossed five touchdowns and rushed for two additional scores.