Fantasy Upside
The Cowboys stumbled into a windfall by nabbing Ceedee Lamb with the 17th pick in the draft despite him profiling as arguably the best prospect in a loaded wide receiver class. Lamb dominated the college ranks by amassing 173 receptions, 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns over three seasons at Oklahoma. Lamb operated outside and in the slot at Oklahoma, but the Dallas depth chart suggests he will mostly play inside as a rookie. This should not worry fantasy players. Lamb led the nation in yards per route run from the slot as a junior (6.11). He will have to form a rapport with Dak Prescott quicker than normal due to the constrained nature of this offseason, but Lamb profiles as the type of rookie who can make an instant impact in both fantasy and real football.
Fantasy Downside
Lamb’s talent and potential are not seriously up for debate, but his landing spot in Dallas curbs his fantasy potential to some extent because of the talent in front of him on the depth chart. Both Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup are established parts of the Cowboys’ offense and will command significant target shares. Lamb could have trouble getting sufficient volume to be an every-week starter in fantasy. Dallas used Randall Cobb out of the slot last season and he only commanded a 15.5% target share, good for 67th in the league. Lamb’s upside and talent are greater than Cobb’s, but there will be weeks when he does not get to show it due to low volume.
2020 Bottom Line
Lamb’s role in the Dallas offense will be one of the more intriguing rookie stories of 2020. He is immensely talented and has a bright future in the league. His primary concern is volume, and that concern would vanish if either Cooper or Gallup missed time. Lamb should be drafted as a flex play with upside.
