NFL

Fantasy Football: The Downside for Each Top-20 Pick

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Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys

Downside: Early-Season Matchups

The upside for Dez Bryant this year is there: the Cowboys may be a more pass-friendly bunch with Ezekiel Elliott suspended and quarterback Dak Prescott having more experience, and Bryant himself was a monster down the stretch last season, finishing as a weekly WR1 (top-12) in PPR formats in 5 of his final 9 games.

Unfortunately for Dez, the start of his season is brutal. The Cowboys will take on the Giants in Week 1, the Broncos in Week 2, the Cardinals in Week 3, and the Rams in Week 4. The first three teams listed were top-10 in the league against the pass according to our schedule-adjusted metrics, and the matchups also mean Dez will get a dose of Janoris Jenkins, Aqib Talib, Patrick Peterson, and Trumaine Johnson.

Bryant looks more like a buy candidate later in the season than one that you'd want to draft.