This is our Sunday Night Football DFS breakdown, running through all the relevant player salaries on DraftKings and FanDuel while forecasting the potential game outcomes as the Dallas Cowboys face the Minnesota Vikings in Dallas on Sunday.
With the division-leading Eagles stumbling to 8-5, the 6-6-1 Cowboys have renewed hope for stealing the NFC East title with a strong finish. First they'll need to beat the 5-8 Vikings, who face the Cowboys in Dallas on Sunday night. The over/under is 47.5 with Dallas favored by 5.0 points.
QUARTERBACK
Dak Prescott ($10400 DK, $12400 FD) is somewhat volatile and tends to have his worst games against good defenses, but even against this respectable defense Prescott is a tough fade. The Vikings defense is not quite on the level it was in 2024, and their cornerback personnel needs the help of a lively pass rush to cover itself, especially against receivers like these. The Dallas run game should be solid here and if it is then Prescott should get good cover from that pass rush in the form of more manageable down-and-distance situations. If Prescott plays poorly here it would be a disappointment and a very bad sign for Dallas' playoff viability.
J.J. McCarthy ($9000 DK, $10600 FD) is doing his best but for now the reality is he cannot face any meaningful amount of exposure in a given game and keep it all together at the same time. If he has to stay in the spotlight then things will go sideways – or at least that's been the open-and-shut fact to this point. The Dallas defense is likely well below average, and in a well-sheltered game plan McCarthy might be able to throw 20 to 25 clean pass attempts, but if he has to go over that number it's probably a bad sign for Minnesota.
RUNNING BACK
The Vikings run defense is far from a pushover, but Javonte Williams ($9400 DK, $9800 FD) still projects fairly well here. The Vikings run defense is clearly worse than in 2024, and the Cowboys have some of the best interior run blocking in the league. Dallas should have the luxury of indulging the run game, meanwhile, in large part because J.J. McCarthy is unlikely to throw with clean efficiency over more than 20 or so pass attempts. Even if the Vikings score, they probably won't score quickly or often, and Dallas shouldn't need to abandon the run. Malik Davis has three carries in each of the last three games, making him a punt play.
Aaron Jones ($6200 DK, $8800 FD) and Jordan Mason ($7200 DK, $7000 FD) are still capable players and there's conventional enough reasoning to take one of the two on a lineup card, but for both players to prove cashing-viable would probably require both a big game from the Minnesota offense and a bad game from the Dallas offense. The pass-catching upside of Jones is badly undermined by J.J. McCarthy's inability to throw with volume, and then Mason tends to get the rushing touchdowns otherwise available in the Vikings offense. Meanwhile, the Dallas run defense has notably improved with the arrival of Quinnen Williams.
WIDE RECEIVER + TIGHT END
CeeDee Lamb ($10000 DK, $13000 FD) is usually worth the money and offers a high floor especially, while George Pickens ($9800 DK, $12000 FD) is more volatile with arguably greater single-game upside. If Prescott manages the Vikings pass rush well then both receivers could easily go off, but otherwise the correct answer might come down to something unpredictable like the coverage calls of the Vikings defense. Brian Flores' varied coverages sometimes leave the opening in unexpected places, but it's tough to cover all areas when facing the sum threat of Lamb and Pickens. Jake Ferguson ($6600 DK, $8400 FD) is dealing with a calf injury that might limit him here, but backup tight ends Luke Schoonmaker ($1600 DK, $1600 FD) and Brevynn Spann-Ford ($200 DK, $1200 FD) are still just punt plays.
If Ferguson lags it could open up more room for Ryan Flournoy ($4800 DK, $4800 FD) and KaVontae Turpin ($3200 DK, $5800 FD), both of whom have flashed productivity as WR3. Turpin is also a standout returner who might be worth pairing if you pick the Dallas DST.
Justin Jefferson ($8800 DK, $11400 FD) and Jordan Addison ($6800 DK, $7600 FD) will never be cheaper, but J.J. McCarthy has badly limited them and T.J. Hockenson ($4000 DK, $5400 FD). Perhaps McCarthy improves, and Dallas' pass defense is likely below average, but to this point McCarthy has been bad in nearly every game to an extent that stalls drives and misses wide-open opportunities. Whoever gets Shavon Revel in coverage should be able to get open in this one, though, so Jefferson and Addison are both worth serious consideration – it just might be best to not include both in one lineup. Jalen Nailor is a capable punt play but an extremely volatile one.
KICKER
If it's a single-game slate then Brandon Aubrey ($5400 DK, $6800 FD) is always a central consideration. He's the best kicker ever and the Dallas offense produces plenty of yardage from scrimmage to get him into scoring range. Aubrey has five games with double-digit fantasy points this year, including two with over 20.
Great as Aubrey is, Will Reichard ($5000 DK, $6400 FD) also appears to be an excellent kicker, boasting both excellent accuracy and uncommon range. The McCarthy offense unfortunately holds Reichard back at times, but if it turns out to be a good McCarthy game then Reichard would stand to benefit. Reichard has four games with double-digit fantasy points this year.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
The Cowboys ($4400 DK, $6600 FD) defense remains a work in progress, but Quinnen Williams was a massive addition and the group could really take shape if the cornerback play improves a little. J.J. McCarthy has not played well but if the play of cornerback Shavon Revel doesn't improve the pass defense could make things easy for McCarthy. As much as there's reason to think Dallas can stall the Vikings run game, players like Jefferson and Addison can get easy third-down conversions if Dallas can't figure out a way to hide Revel.
The Vikings ($3400 DK, $6200 FD) are expected to give up points here due to the explosiveness of the Dallas offense, but the Cowboys are playing without left tackle Tyler Guyton and the Vikings defense has played well for the most part in 2025. Their own quarterback is liable to undermine them with short fields and long drives, though, so the Vikings defense is working against both offenses.
