Michael Gallup Injury Update Could Lead to Increased Fantasy Value for Randall Cobb and Devin Smith

Michael Gallup is on fire to open the 2019 season, and through two games he leads the Dallas Cowboys in targets (15), receptions (13) and receiving yards (226).

He got banged up in Week 2's win over the Washington Redskins though, and he's now expected to be on the shelf for two to four weeks. This could open the door for both Randall Cobb and Devin Smith's fantasy football outlook to get a significant boost.

Cobb is the more obvious choice to soak up targets, as he's already third on the team with 11 and one of only three Cowboys in the double digits (joining Gallup and Amari Cooper).

We can certainly expect some additional looks to go Cobb's way, and thanks to his short-yardage usage (his 5.0-yard average target depth is the lowest among Dallas WRs), that should lead to some easy receptions, making his value boost especially pronounced in PPR leagues.

Cobb already played 70.6 percent of the team's snaps in Week 1 though, and with Gallup making an early exit that only climbed to 75.7 percent in Week 2. A short-yardage slot threat, Cobb's role doesn't have a ton of overlap with Gallup's. Instead it's Devin Smith who saw the big boost in snaps, from 8.8 percent in Week 1 to 25.7 percent in Week 2 (where Gallup still played 67.1 percent).

Smith's usage also mirrors Gallup's more closely, with one of his three targets in 2019 having come on a pass that traveled 45 yards through the air, which he caught and ran into the end zone for a 51-yard touchdown in Week 2.

Smith still has a low floor as the third option (at best) in the passing game, but his deep usage on the outside gives him some interesting upside. If you're looking for a boom-or-bust option, or playing in a deeper league, Smith is someone that should be on your radar.

Cobb's ceiling isn't as exciting as Smith's, but he's a much safer bet to return solid fantasy numbers in Gallup's absence, particularly in PPR leagues.

The Cowboys draw an outstanding matchup against the Miami Dolphins in Week 3 and are still in a favorable spot against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4, so Cobb and Smith could both be fantasy viable right away.

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Jason Schandl is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Jason Schandl also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Jaymun. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.