Fantasy Football Players Beg Ezekiel Elliott to Sign for Their Drafts

With the third week of the preseason over, fantasy football drafts are taking place all over the world. The starters are largely determined on every team and will likely be held out of the final game leading up to the regular season. This means that freak accidents such as ACL tears will (hopefully) not be happening to the stars that will lead various managers to championship trophies.

Of course, there is an elephant in the room in the form of Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. The league’s defending rushing champion is still in the midst of a holdout as he fights for a lucrative contract extension. He has not reported to the team facility and does not appear to be any closer to showing up in time for the first game. So where should he be drafted?

According to the NFL‘s Fantasy Website, Zeke is viewed as a top-five running back, but there are thousands of league managers that are afraid to use such a high pick on a player that may not actually be on the field when it matters. In response to these concerns, social media has been filled with players requesting…nay, begging Zeke to sign his contract and come back into the fold.

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When – and if – Ezekiel Elliott returns to the fold, how effective will he be? The Dallas Cowboys offense, on paper, should be far superior to the 2018 version. Amari Cooper is entering his second season with the team and will be making defenses respect the passing attack. Similarly, newcomer Randall Cobb will pair with second-year wideout Michael Gallup to serve as reliable alternative options for quarterback Dak Prescott. This should open up more opportunities for Elliott, which is exactly what ESPN believes will happen. He is projected to finish with 271.4 fantasy points in 2019, topping the 250 he posted in 2018. 

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As this football fan is quick to point out, the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott need to focus on what matters in this world – his fantasy teams. Sure, winning Lombardi Trophies is important, but does it hold a candle to this owner’s record in his leagues? William selected Zeke in three separate leagues, which means that his season would be over before it even started if Elliott didn’t report. That would be a catastrophe on par with Hostess Brands filing for bankruptcy and pulling Twinkies off of store shelves. 

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In fantasy football, there is learning the ropes and then there is taking a beating when you least expect it. This fantasy manager showed up for his first draft bright-eyed and ready to romp to victory with New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Unfortunately, auto-draft stepped in and made his decision for him – Ezekiel Elliott. This holdout just got personal for the unfortunate team manager, and he has a bold plan to get this contract done. 

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This hospitable fan is among the thousands that are asking Zeke to return to the football field, but he is opting to do so nicely. In fact, he even offered to let the Cowboys star come over to the house any time he wants in order to help with any financial issues. Granted, being faced with selecting a risky proposition in Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson brings out either the best or worst in people. Why select a player that could get fewer than 10 points on a weekly basis when there is a consistent option in Elliott? 

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Keeper leagues are a beautiful creation for players that want to minimize the amount of stress on the system. In this scenario, you can select one or two players from the previous season as a Keeper to lock them up once again. It prevents having to chase down a specific player during the first or second round. Unfortunately, having Zeke as a keeper is a risky proposition due to the negative consequences. If he holds out all year, the manager will lose a key player as well as a top draft pick. 

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This fantasy football manager took a chance and selected Ezekiel Elliott to be her top running back, garnering respect form her 14-year-old son. Unfortunately, Zeke is nowhere to be seen, and she would like that to change. Upon further examination of her draft strategy, it’s actually critical that the Cowboys running back reports. At this point in time, her other starters are Melvin Gordon, who is holding out, and Lamar Miller, who tore his ACL on Saturday. Losing the top three RBs early would spell doom for her team. 

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There are certain football fans that have no doubt that Elliott will be back in the fold for the Dallas Cowboys when the games begin to matter. In fact, this fantasy owner selected Elliott in his draft and then followed it up by incorporating a new theme. In this case, Elliott is going to channel his inner Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction and lay his vengeance upon what appears to be the doubters. 

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Surprisingly, there is one fantasy fan that wants Ezekiel Elliott to sit out the entire year, much like Le’Veon Bell did in 2018. As he explained, it’s more important to get that paycheck to secure his future. Plus, this fantasy manager already selected Zeke’s backup, Tony Pollard, in multiple leagues, so he is prepared for a lengthy holdout. Time to let the rookie shine. 

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Jim Cramer of Mad Money is known for his decision-making, but he has been struggling in terms of fantasy football. Cramer was raked over the coals by the other managers in his fantasy league when he selected Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz with a seventh-round pick. Well, the diehard Eagles fan made another questionable decision when he opted for Elliott at fourth overall. Cramer accepted the pain of drafting a rival player, but he could soon receiving a double dose if Zeke does not report. 

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As someone that saw his starting quarterback retire immediately after his fantasy draft, OJ Simpson already knows that his season is in the tank. Whether or not Ezekiel Elliott reports is no longer important. Now, the Juice simply wants team owner Jerry Jones and Elliott to have a civil conversation and keep everything focused on the money. Feelings and emotions should not be part of this conversation in his mind. It’s time to just focus on the facts and numbers of the contract extension.