Editor’s Note: This Matchup was written by John Daigle, with input from Evan Silva.

Monday Night Football

Arizona @ Dallas

Team Totals: Cardinals 25.5, Cowboys 28

Soft-benched in favor of Jacoby Brissett, Kyler Murray will take a back seat to the veteran post-bye in the fantasy world’s favorite spot: Only Jayden Daniels failed to finish as a top-12 QB against the Cowboys to date, and he was injured in their matchup. … The Cardinals thought so little of Michael Carter that they waived him on Monday, understanding no team would swoop in and claim him. In other words, it’s Bam Knight’s show as a fringe RB1 after his share of the team’s RB touches increased in every game (16.1% < 50% < 62.9%) before Arizona’s bye. Even RJ Harvey scored three TDs on only eight touches against this front seven.

Only the Jaguars (20.5) have allowed more per-game points to receivers from out wide than Dallas (19), and Marvin Harrison Jr. leads the team with 73% of his routes from that area as a strong WR2. … Practically Arizona’s WR1 from Brissett, Trey McBride’s been favored for a target on 28% of his routes, including six end-zone targets — both categories which lead his position in that time. Dallas has only fared well against TEs of late because their competition since Week 6 has been Tommy Tremble, Zach Ertz, and Evan Engram. … Michael Wilson gets an on-paper bump in showdown if only for consistently being on the field (with a 78% route rate from Brissett) against Dallas. Although it’s Wilson who offers the higher floor, Zay Jones’ ceiling is intriguing for his 30-yard depth of target the last time Arizona took the field. Greg Dortch also recorded two catches on only six routes in that game.

It’s a clear bounce-back spot indoors for Dak Prescott after he failed to throw a TD against the Broncos for the first time since Week 1. The Cardinals have also played over half their snaps (55%) from Cover 3 and 4 looks, which Dak has pasted for a 77.6% completion rate (second) and 8.1 yards per attempt. … The team’s lopsided loss was indifferent for Javonte Williams, who still spiked two TDs as the week’s overall RB11. Jaydon Blue’s egregious fumble (that the team somehow recovered) only ensures Javonte a larger piece of the pie against this Cardinals defense that’s permitted 2.7 yards after contact per run (29th).

CeeDee Lamb remains third in the NFL in Yards Per Route Run (2.60) despite missing three games, producing 7/110/0, 9/112/0, 5/110/1, and 7/74/0 in the four starts he’s finished. … George Pickens had been out-targeted 32-22 by Jake Ferguson before Lamb was injured, but, in their last two games together, it’s Pickens who has nearly mirrored Lamb in opportunity (18-15) well ahead of Ferguson (8). Even so, the Cardinals have defended a league-high 9.5 TE targets per game, giving Ferguson life before his managers are advised to sell him as the TD deodorant (with six in his last five games) wears off. Pickens’ aforementioned usage hoists him as a sneaky WR1. … If sorting through cheap options for showdown, Ryan Flournoy has run just two fewer routes than Jalen Tolbert (despite the latter’s 3/63/1 box score) since Lamb returned.

Score Prediction: Cowboys 38, Cardinals 35