The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a narrow win over the Indianapolis Colts, and now the 7-1 San Francisco 49ers are coming to town, bringing one of the league’s most complete rosters and a defense that has consistently given Dallas problems in their recent matchups.
There are some opportunities for the Cowboys, particularly with CeeDee Lamb playing at a high level, but there are also some difficult matchups that could expose weaknesses on Dallas’ roster. Here are two players to buy and two to sell
ahead of Sunday’s game.
Buy: CeeDee Lamb
I mean, who else would this list start with? Lamb has been the best player for the Cowboys all season, and there’s no reason to think that Dallas will stop feeding him the ball. Lamb is coming off a monster performance against Indianapolis, hauling in 10 catches for 195 yards and a touchdown on 16 targets. It was his second-highest receiving total in a game during his career.
Through nine games, Lamb has 70 receptions for 904 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s already surpassed the 900-yard mark, and his 108 targets lead the Cowboys by a wide margin. The matchup against San Francisco is difficult, but Lamb is the kind of receiver who can change a game regardless of the opponent. With George Pickens possibly missing another week and Dallas dealing with inconsistencies elsewhere the offense, Dak Prescott should continue looking Lamb’s way early and often.
The 49ers will undoubtedly have a plan for him, but Lamb’s recent production makes him difficult to leave out of the buyers market. He’s been the Cowboys’ most reliable playmaker overall, and Dallas needs to find ways to get him involved.
Sell: Dak Prescott
At some point, the Cowboys have to figure out how to beat San Francisco, and Dak Prescott has to be a big part of that solution. Unfortunately, his history against the 49ers doesn’t inspire much confidence. Prescott is 2-4 against San Francisco in his career, including an 0-2 record in the playoffs. In those two postseason games, he has thrown for 460 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His most recent regular-season meetings haven’t been much better. He threw three interceptions in the 2023 blowout loss and two more in the 2024 matchup.
Across his four regular-season games against San Francisco, Prescott has completed 65.5% of his passes for 875 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. That’s not necessarily disastrous production, but the turnovers have been costly, particularly against a team that knows how to capitalize on mistakes.
The 49ers have won four straight meetings against Dallas, and Prescott will have to overcome both that team history and his own struggles against this opponent. San Francisco’s defense is disciplined, physical and capable of making quarterbacks pay for forcing throws.
With Fred Warner leading the unit, Prescott will have to be sharp with his reads and decision-making, especially against the blitz, where he has looked terrible this year. Dallas needs a big performance from its quarterback to pull off the upset. Given the history, though, this is a matchup where I’m selling Prescott until he proves otherwise.
Buy: Brevyn Spann-Ford
With Jake Ferguson ruled out due to a knee injury, Brevyn Spann-Ford has an opportunity to take on an even bigger role in the Cowboys’ offense. It might not be the most obvious matchup to exploit, but he could be a sneaky contributor against San Francisco.
Spann-Ford has caught 15 passes for 130 yards this season, and his role has been growing. Against Indianapolis, he played 55 offensive snaps compared to Ferguson’s 27, catching two of three targets for 20 yards. That workload suggests the Cowboys are already comfortable giving him significant playing time.
The 49ers have plenty of defensive talent to account for, and their attention will naturally gravitate toward Lamb and the Cowboys’ other primary playmakers. That could leave opportunities for Spann-Ford underneath or in the middle of the field, particularly if Dallas uses him to help with protection before releasing him into a route.
This isn’t a prediction that Spann-Ford is suddenly going to become the focal point of the passing game. Rather, it’s a bet that his increased playing time and the attention paid to Dallas’ other weapons could create a few favorable opportunities. With Ferguson unavailable, the Cowboys need someone else to contribute from the tight end position. Spann-Ford is in a good position to do that.
Sell: Jaishawn Barham
The Cowboys have indicated that Jaishawn Barham could see an increased workload as injuries continue to pile up on the defensive side of the ball. That’s understandable from a personnel standpoint, but it also creates a potential problem against an offense as versatile as San Francisco’s.
Barham had some encouraging moments early in the season, but his limitations have become more apparent as the competition has increased. His playing time has also been limited recently, which makes the prospect of a larger role against the 49ers particularly concerning.
San Francisco is exactly the type of opponent that can put a young linebacker in difficult situations. Kyle Shanahan’s offense uses motion, misdirection and mismatches to create space, and open up running lanes.
If Dallas gives him more responsibility, San Francisco will have plenty of opportunities to test him. The Cowboys need all the help they can get defensively, but this is a tough week to ask an inconsistent young player to take on a bigger role.
