Fantasy Football Takeaways from Eagles' Win over Cowboys: Jahan Dotson, Javonte Williams and More Surprise

The NFL regular season got started on Thursday with a fun game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.

Philly hung on for a 24-20 win in a game that featured an ejection for spitting, long weather delay and plenty of chippiness. Let's discuss some fantasy football takeaways from the contest.

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Running Game Powers Eagles

Just like it did most of the 2024 season, the running game is what led the Eagles to victory.

All three of the team's touchdowns came on the ground, and in the first half. Jalen Hurts rushed for 62 yards and two scores on 14 carries. Saquon Barkley “only” had 60 rushing yards and a score on 18 attempts.

Will Shipley and A.J. Dillon each got three carries, gaining 26 and 10 yards, respectively.

It's weird to see Barkley only get 18 rushing attempts in a game of this nature. He did add 24 yards on four catches and five targets to deliver a pretty strong fantasy performance, especially for those of you in PPR leagues.

It was a bit of an underwhelming showing in the end though. I'm not worried about his usage this season, but it's at least something to keep an eye on.

Hurts stole a lot of Barkley's production, and with not many pass catchers getting open, the quarterback scrambled a bunch. Both of his scores were on scrambles, not tush pushes.

Hurts only had 152 passing yards, but was 19-of-23 as a passer. While not many fantasy quarterbacks can deliver good results with that kind of passing line, Hurts still can because of his running ability. That's what makes him a top-end fantasy QB, and someone to trust every week.

Shipley suffered an injury to his ribs, otherwise he might have been more involved. Dillon would take on more of a role if Shipley were to miss any time. The top backup RB in Philly might have a little more fantasy value than you think, but Shipley's injury might muddy the backup role for a bit, at least.

Barkley played 50 of the team's 63 offensive snaps. Shipley was at five snaps, while Dillon played eight.

Eagles' Pass Catchers Struggle

With only 152 passing yards, you can imagine the Philly pass catchers didn't accomplish too much.

Top receiver A.J. Brown had just one target, catching an eight-yard pass late in the game. That's definitely a concerning start to the season for one of the better fantasy wideouts in the game. He's certainly capable of big-time performances, but these duds will likely pop up here and there throughout the year.

With Brown not doing much, you'd expect DeVonta Smith to have gone off… Nope!

Smith had three targets, making three catches for just 16 yards. As the No. 2 option on a good offense, Smith has some fantasy value, but these down performances are even more likely than Brown having one.

Brown and Smith are not locked-in fantasy starters going forward, even in the most favorable matchups.

Go figure, it was Jahan Dotson who led the team. He hauled in a 51-yard pass among his three total grabs for 59 yards.

He's sparsely used with Brown and Smith ahead of him, and these kinds of performances shouldn't be expected too often. Dotson can be added in some deeper leagues, but I'd stay away from him in standard setups.

Tight end Dallas Goedert was the most-targeted pass catcher for Philly, catching all seven of his targets for 44 yards - his longest reception was just nine yards.

I thought Goedert was a bit of a sleeper coming into the year. He's dealt with injuries, so he wasn't the safest draft pick, but as the third-best pass catcher on a good offense, Goedert had real fantasy value.

He didn't tear it up on Thursday night, but he did flash some upside. I'd bet Goedert will be a pretty decent waiver wire pickup for week 2, especially in PPR leagues.

Tight end Kylen Granson was the only other Eagle with a catch. He caught a one-yard pass. Don't expect much out of him, unless Goedert gets injured again.

In terms of snap counts for the pass catchers, Smith led the way at 56 snaps. Brown was at 55 snaps, while Goedert played 52.

Tight end Grant Calcaterra was on the field for 37 snaps on Thursday. Dotson played 29, while Granson played just 17.

Surprise Leader for Cowboys' Offense

CeeDee Lamb was the leader in yards, and Dak Prescott did some solid things too, but it was running back Javonte Williams that turned heads on Thursday.

Williams got 17 touches, rushing 15 times for 54 yards and catching two of his three targets for an additional 10 yards. He added two rushing scores to post a big fantasy score.

He wasn't a big-time fantasy asset coming into the season, but definitely made a statement that he was the lead back in Dallas.

Miles Sanders got four carries, and broke off a 49-yard run on his way to a 53-yard performance. He caught a pass that lost three yards, and he also lost a fumble.

Jaydon Blue was inactive for week 1, so Williams and Sanders were the only backs who played. Williams was on the field for 47 plays, while Sanders got 11 snaps.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Blue take over the backup role from Sanders in time. For now, Williams is the Dallas back you want, and he'll be a waiver wire target going into week 2.

KaVontae Turpin might also steal a few touches from backs over time. He had two carries for nine yards and made receptions on both of his targets for 18 yards.

Lamb Leads Pass Catchers

It was an OK game from the passing game. Prescott was 21-of-34 passing for 188 yards, but no scores led to just a so-so fantasy score. He added a three-yard rush.

Lamb led the way with 110 yards on seven catches and 13 targets. He dropped a couple passes, and had a pass go through his fingertips as the Cowboys were looking to pull off the upset in the final minutes.

It was still a stellar fantasy showing for one of the game's best fantasy wideouts. He's a must-start guy every week, and even bigger and better days are coming.

George Pickens had 30 yards on three catches and four targets. An even bigger day was thwarted by a defensive pass interference call he drew.

This was a tough matchup for the team's pass catchers, and brighter days are ahead for Pickens. As the No. 2 guy to Lamb, he's not a must-start wideout any more, and it might take favorable matchups to get him into lineups.

Tight end Jake Ferguson was the other other pass catcher with any receiving yards - Jalen Tolbert had a catch that resulted in no gain. Ferguson had 23 yards on five grabs and six targets.

This wasn't a good matchup for Ferguson either, but at least he was a bit involved. Better showings are ahead, and he should be startable in more favorable matchups.

IDP and Kicker Showings

Malik Hooker, Kenneth Murray and Zack Baun all had nine combined tackles for the Cowboys. Baun added a pass defensed.

Marshawn Kneeland had the Cowboys' sack and ended with three tackles. 

Adoree' Jackson led the Eagles with seven combined tackles, while also knocking away a pass. 

Jihaad Campbell forced a fumble and also had three tackles and a pass defensed. Quinyon Mitchell recovered the fumble, knocked down a pass and had four combined tackles.

Jordan Davis had six tackles and a pass defensed for the Eagles, while Jack Sanborn, Damone Clark and Kaiir Elam all had six tackles for the Cowboys.

Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey made two field goals and both of his extra points. Eagles' kicker Jake Elliott made a field goal and three extra points.