CeeDee Lamb May Return in Week 7, Affecting George Pickens' Fantasy Football Value
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Jerry and Stephen Jones have both been in the news this week stating that CeeDee Lamb is trending towards his Week 7 return. The Dallas media can be in their grill, but the Jones' can also be vocal. They know that they need Lamb back as the Cowboys fell to 2-3. We can take caution in these reports, but also analyze the matter to its truth. Whether or not Lamb is back this week, it has fantasy implications, most notably impacting George Pickens.
Fantasy Football Impact
When Lamb is back, he will retain his high target share immediately. We can anticipate that this number will near, if not exceed 30%. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are passing for 270 Yards per Game, even with Lamb out. If we translate this projected target share into yardage, we can easily see Lamb achieve 80-90 Yards per Game.
Looking back on 2023, when Prescott was healthy and nearly won MVP, Lamb had averaged 103 Yards per Game. This was an astonishing number, but also when Lamb was the clear best option on this team. Prescott is back to MVP levels and a Top 5 Fantasy Football Quarterback, but the team also now has Pickens on the depth chart.
George Pickens through six games:
— SleeperCowboys (@SleeperCowboys) October 14, 2025
⭐️ 525 receiving yards (3rd most)
⭐️ 87.5 yards per game (4th most)
⭐️ 6 touchdowns (T-1 most)
⭐️ 120.5 PPR fantasy points (4th most)
Thank you, Pittsburgh! pic.twitter.com/maPNcq4uyK
In six games, five of which were without Lamb, Pickens is averaging 67 Yards per Game. We can anticipate that he and Lamb will have a balance as both are in the lineup. We would likely project them to combine for 50%, or so, of the teams receiving yardage. At 270 Yards per Game, this could look something like 80-85 Yards per Game to Lamb and 50-60 Yards per Game to Pickens.
Stock Watch
Lamb returns to WR1 form as a Top 3 Fantasy Football Wide Receiver and overall WR1 upside.
Pickens drops from WR6 overall to a consensus weekly WR2 in Fantasy Football.
Both players would be weekly must-starts given the Cowboys explosive pass game and MVP level of play from Prescott.
CeeDee Lamb May Return in Week 7
Our job here is to make a true analysis on Lamb and his imminent return to the lineup. It appears that Lamb will be more like a 50/50 chance to play in Week 7. It all depends on Wednesday and Thursday practice.
CeeDee Lamb (ankle) will practice Wednesday.
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) October 15, 2025
If Lamb is back, he will likely have a ramp up in his first week back. We could see him closely managed and if he looks and feels good to begin the game, this could affect is snapload for the remainder of the game.
Whether Lamb is back this week or not, he will almost certainly return in Week 8 at the Broncos. With no sure thing, I would prepare as if you did not have Lamb this week even though optimism is in the air. It never hurts to be cautious in lineup management, otherwise you put yourself in a world of hurt when the player ends up being out.
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Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.