In the ninth of a 32-part series, we are featuring all National Football League teams with a prediction of where each team will finish within their division, key off-season acquisitions and their top fantasy stars. Here are the Dallas Cowboys.
Key Off Season Acquisitions
In the offseason, the Cowboys added three notable defensive players. They were defensive end Rashan Gary of Plainfield, New Jersey, safety Jalen Thompson of Paramount, California, and linebacker Dee Winters of Brenham, Texas.
Gary was traded from the Green Bay Packers to the Cowboys on March 11 for a fourth round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. He has spent seven seasons with the Packers from 2019 to 2025, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2024. In 2025, Gary had 45 combined tackles (25 solo tackles and 20 assisted tackles), 20 quarterback hits, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass deflection. The forced fumble came in a 27-23 Packers win over the Arizona Cardinals on October 19. The fumble recovery came in a 27-20 Packers win over the New York Giants on November 16. The pass deflection came in a 23-6 Packers win over the Minnesota Vikings on November 23.
Thompson signed a three-year deal worth $36 million with the Dallas Cowboys on March 9. He has spent the last seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals as a free safety. In 2025, Thompson had 95 combined tackles (58 solo tackles and 37 assisted tackles), two tackles for a loss, one forced fumble, one sack and six pass deflections.
Winters was traded from the San Francisco 49ers to the Dallas Cowboys for a fifth round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on April 24. In 2025, Winters had 101 combined tackles (67 solo tackles and 34 assisted tackles), eight tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, and one interception for a touchdown for 74 yards and five pass deflections. The pick six came in a 48-27 49ers win over the Indianapolis Colts on December 22.
Fantasy Stars
Dak Prescott of Sulphur, Louisiana is sixth among quarterbacks. In 2025, he completed 404 passes (led the NFL) in 600 attempts for 4552 passing yards, 30 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. Prescott also had 53 rushes for 177 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
CeeDee Lamb of Opelousas, Louisiana is fifth among wide receivers. In 2025, he had 75 catches for 1077 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
George Pickens of Hoover, Alabama is eighth among wide receivers. In 2025, he had 93 catches for 1429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Brandon Aubrey of St. Louis, Missouri is eighth among kickers. In 2025, he made 36 of 42 field goals and 47 of 48 converts.
Projected Finish
The Eagles are clearly the best team in the NFC East, but you could make the argument that the Cowboys are clearly the second best team in the NFC East. Dallas’s most significant strength is the wide receiver group as Lamb and Pickens give Dallas a great 1-2 punch.
