NFL Schedule Release: Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles To Kick Off Week 1
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The NFL will open up the 2025 season with the Dallas Cowboys traveling to play the Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles.
Dak Prescott is coming off his worst season, and the Cowboys have wide-open competition at running back. The addition of George Pickens gives Dallas a much better receiving structure, hinting at a prolific air attack. CeeDee Lamb, a beast WR1, sets up the Cowboys offense by volume of catches and targets.
Even if Dallas’s offense stalls, Brandon Aubrey continues to kick fantasy touchdowns (24-for-27 from 50 yards or more) over two seasons in the NFL. He led the league in field goals made (36) in his rookie campaign and field goal attempts (47) in 2024.
Brandon Aubrey is the only kicker in the league that can effortlessly make this kick.
— CowboysMuse (@Cowboys_Muse_) April 4, 2025
66 yards with breathing room 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/KX90Atv81u
The Eagles made the move to upgrade their run game before 2024, and Saquon Barkley rewarded their trust with a dynamic year. Philadelphia returned the favor by signing him to a two-year extension ($41.2 million). AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith come off down seasons due to four missed games each and a higher focus on the run game, especially at the goal line.
The Cowboys scored 159 fewer points in 2024 (350 – 21st), and their defense allowed 153 more points (468 – 31st). The previous season, Dallas had a top-five offense and defense.
Philadelphia won the Super Bowl last year with an identical ranking in points scored (7th) and offensive yards (8th). How they achieved those yards was a lot different. By running the ball more, the Eagles’ defense was on the field for a league-low seven hours, 49 minutes, and 34 seconds, leading to the fewest yards allowed while giving up 303 points (2nd – 125 fewer than 2023).
Here’s their starting lineups:
Dallas Cowboys
QB Dak Prescott
RB1 Javonte Williams
RB2 Miles Sanders
WR1 CeeDee Lamb
WR2 George Pickens
WR3 Jalen Tolbert
TE Jake Schoonmaker
K Brandon Aubrey
Philadelphia Eagles
QB Jalen Hurts
RB1 Saquon Barkley
RB2 Will Shipley
WR1 A.J. Brown
WR2 DeVonta Smith
WR3 Jahan Dotson
TE Dallas Goedert
K Jake Elliott
The early betting line is Philadelphia by 6.5 points.
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With 20+ years of experience in the high-stakes fantasy market, I aim to research and compete at the highest level in baseball and football each season. I've contributed as a writer/analyst for Sports Draft Daily, ScoutPro, Scout Fantasy, Fulltime Fantasy, FFToolbox, and Sports Illustrated Fantasy. I'm honored to be in the National Fantasy Baseball Championship Hall of Fame. My drafting philosophy is risk-averse yet open to betting on potential game-changers. I approach player selection with a neutral perspective, acknowledging that fantasy sports are inherently unpredictable due to injuries, performance dips, and managerial decisions. My work focuses on these main areas: - Season-long fantasy baseball and football - BestBall Baseball and Football Events - Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS): DraftKings, FanDuel, and Underdog - Long Shot Player Prop Parlays for NFL I participate in various leagues and contests, including NFBC, NFFC, RTSports, FFPC, DraftKings, Underdog Fantasy, FanDuel, and FFWC, with the goal of leveraging my extensive experience and research for success in each game format. A fantasy follower can expect in-depth profiles of NFL and MLB players, along with season-long and weekly projections for each fantasy football season. In addition, I have many strategy articles to help develop fantasy players' learning curves.
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