2009 NFL Fantasy Football Preview: Top 5 Dallas Cowboys to Draft

Though they missed the Playoffs in 2008, the Dallas Cowboys remain a force in Fantasy Football where their star studded offense leaves fantasy owner with plenty to chose from. However, this year the Cowboys go at it without star wide receiver Terrell Owens, and it remains to be seen how Tony Romo, Jason Witten and Marion Barber will do without the perennial bad boy this season. Here then are the five Dallas Cowboys to own during the 2009 Fantasy Football season.

1) Tony Romo (QB)

Though Romo will have a hard time matching the success he had during his fabulous 2007 season without Terrell Owens to throw to, he still remains a top tier quarterback. Still, Romo is coming off a season which saw him miss three games to injury and his last four games of the season were not pretty to watch. Look for Romo to average about 250 yards a game and throw for 20-25 touchdowns this year. Overall, he is still a top 5 quarterback pick, though his star is got a little bit tarnished last season.

2) Jason Witten (TE)

Witten is arguably one of the best Tight Ends in the league, and in Cowboy history. Though injuries kept him from matching his 2007 output, Witten still caught 81 passes for 952 yards last season. With Owens gone, Jason will get a lot more attention this season, and it may affect his numbers. Still, a repeat of last year's numbers with a few more touchdowns thrown in is not out of the question. With Tony Gonzalez aging, Witten may very well be the best available option at the position.

3) Marion Barber (RB)

A dislocated toe, kept "The Closer" from enjoying a 1,000 yard season in 2008. Barber had over 800 yards rushing through 11 games, before the injury virtually shut him down for the rest of the year. Look for his overall numbers to be a reason he slips past the top tiers of runners this season, and for Barber to rebound to the form that him a pre-season favorite last year. Over the past three seasons Barber has scored 37 touchdowns, and last year he caught 52 passes for an additional 417 years. With Felix Jones and Tashard Choice spelling him this season, there is no reason to believe Barber's numbers won't soar.

4) Nick Folk (K)

Folk was virtually flawless when he kicked last season, converting 20 out of 22 field goal tries. Look for his field goal totals to increase with the departure of Terrell Owens, and for Folk to get closer to the 131 points he had in 2007. Folk also possesses decent range for a kicker, having hit on 4 out of 7 kicks he has taken from +50 yards out. As reliable a kicker as you will find in this year's draft, Folk's poor 2008 numbers may mean he will be available very late in the draft.

5) Dallas Defense

Look for the 2009 Cowboy Defense to be vastly improved over the 2008 version that allowed 365 points last season. Led by DeMarcus Ware who tallied 20 sacks last season, the Cowboys had four players with over 7 sacks in 2008. Unfortunately turnovers did not fall the Cowboy's way, and only Terrance Newman (4 int) had more than 2 pickoffs for the team. Running Back Felix Jones will add an extra dimension to the return game.

Statistical Source:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/dal/stats;