We are in the dog days of summer, and while fall is on the way, we will soon have regular-season football to distract us from the heat. And with the return of football comes the return of fantasy football.
As you gear up for your drafts, you will likely look toward the Cowboys offense for help. Dak Prescott is expected to air the ball out a ton this season, especially since Dallas added George Pickens as his second wide receiver. While the Cowboys have been known to support a fantasy-worthy running back, there is a giant question mark in the backfield during the preseason.
Dallas, once again, didn’t do a great job addressing its running back room in the offseason. A year after choosing not to sign Derrick Henry because team owner Jerry Jones thought he would cost too much, the Cowboys added free agents Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders as the main options to be the starting running backs.
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Here’s more on who should be the starting running back for the Cowboys.
Cowboys RB depth chart
| Position | Player |
| 1 | Javonte Williams |
| 2 | Miles Sanders |
| 3 | Jaydon Blue |
| 4 | Deuce Vaughn |
Javonte Williams
Williams spent the first four seasons of his career with the Broncos. He had a promising rookie season in 2021 and had 903 yards and four touchdowns on the ground with an additional 316 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Williams’ second season was cut short due to a torn ACL, and he was unable to recapture the success of his first year.
Last season, the writing was on the wall that Williams’ time in Denver was likely coming to an end. He played in all 17 games, but he only picked up 513 yards and four touchdowns on 139 carries.
For fantasy football, Williams has an early ADP of RB36. Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer could make some gameday decisions when the regular season rolls around, but for now, it looks like Williams is the starter.
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Miles Sanders
Sanders is coming off two seasons with the Panthers. He joined Carolina after a breakout season with the Eagles in 2022, where he had 1,269 with 11 touchdowns. However, in two seasons with the Panthers, he had just 637 yards and three touchdowns. Sanders has looked like a shadow of his former self and needs a fresh start with Dallas to try to rebound. Unfortunately for the veteran back, he hasn’t been considered the starter and should only continue to be part of a running back committee, barring an injury.
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Jaydon Blue
Blue was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after playing his college ball at Texas. He impressed in his final season with 730 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, while adding 368 yards and six scores through the air.
Blue is an interesting piece to this backfield. It doesn’t seem like there has been a clear winner in the backfield battle, and the rookie has looked as good as the other two in the preseason. He hasn’t impressed enough to be outright when the job starts, but he will likely eat into the work of whoever starts as the season progresses.
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Deuce Vaughn
Vaughn was a fifth-round pick by Dallas in 2023. He is the odd man out in the backfield, mainly because of his size. Vaughn is only 5-6, which means he will likely only be used in passing situations, and even then, he would likely not be the next option over Blue if both are healthy. As one of the backup options to Rico Dowdle in 2024, he finished with 88 combined yards and no touchdowns.
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Who is the Cowboys backup running back?
If we consider Williams the starter, which is how the backfield appears to be trending, then Sanders would likely be considered the backup for now. With the two free agent additions to the backfield, if neither Williams nor Sanders looks like they are getting the job done, there is an easy path to playing time for Blue to take over the outright backup job or even the starting role as the season continues.
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Where should I draft Javonte Williams in fantasy?
Williams is being drafted as the RB36 in half-PPR scoring formats. He is being drafted after Jordan Mason and JK Dobbins but ahead of Cam Skattebo, Zach Charbonnet, and Tank Bigsby, among others. Being sandwiched in the middle of backup running backs shows how little confidence fantasy managers have in Williams this season.
In 12-team leagues, Williams is going as the third pick in the ninth round (No. 111 overall). Depending on how you like to draft, you will likely be targeting upside players for your bench. This is a fine place to take Williams. If he starts, he could be the steal of the draft. If he gets benched, he becomes the depth that you drafted him for, and he could regain his value if there is an injury or if he retakes his job.
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Where should I draft Miles Sanders in fantasy?
Sanders is being drafted as the RB66. In most drafts, he isn’t even selected. He would likely be sitting on your waiver wire if he ends up being named the starter or has a breakout game. Sanders is being chosen with the third pick in the 19th round, and the standard fantasy football draft only goes 16 rounds as players fill out their starting lineup and bench. For 12-team leagues, that would be 192 picks, meaning Sanders shouldn’t be drafted.
For what it is worth, Blue has an ADP of RB42 and is only six slots behind Williams. If you want to roster a backup, you’ll have to pay more in draft capital for Blue, but he has more upside. If he ends up not being the right choice, Sanders will be on your waiver wire for the swap.
