CeeDee Lamb remains sidelined with an ankle sprain as the Cowboys lean on Dak Prescott and a reshaped receiving group to stay productive. Dallas ripped off 77 points over two games with Lamb out, and Prescott has delivered 7 TDs vs. 0 INT in that span. Lamb’s return remains murky, with Week 7 vs Washington highlighted as a potential comeback date, while Dallas heads to Carolina focused on maintaining the offensive surge without their star.

Meanwhile, Ryan Flournoy has stepped up in Lamb’s absence, flashing as a trusted option in a spread-friendly attack. Carolina’s home-soil kickoff gives the Cowboys a favorable backdrop to test depth, as the defense seeks to limit the Panthers and keep Prescott clean before Lamb reclaims his role.

Week 6 pits a high-powered Cowboys run game against a resurging Panthers backfield as Javonte Williams and Rico Dowdle collide in Charlotte. Dowdle just posted a career-best 206 yards after signing with Carolina, while Williams sits among NFL leaders with 5.7 YPC and multiple rushing touchdowns for Dallas. Dak Prescott’s volume and the Pickens connection loom large, but Carolina’s line and Young’s growth could keep this one close before Dallas pulls away late. Cowboys 34, Panthers 20.

Dowdle leads a Panthers ground game facing Dallas’s front while Moton is out and Corbett/Hunt are banged up, inviting a heavier run plan. Dallas pressure, Prescott’s hot streak, and Pickens’ rise as Dallas’ top target with Lamb sidelined test Carolina’s defense. Evero must tighten the big-play allow list while Dowdle and Williams carry key duties in Week 6.

The Panthers head to Foxborough after a 30-0 win but Week 4 brings a tough injury pill that could reshape fantasy plans. Out are Patrick Jones II, Xavier Legette, Ja'Tavion Sanders and D.J. Wonnum, with Sanders sidelined by an ankle injury likely to linger. Tershawn Wharton is questionable after a hamstring tweak, while Tetairoa McMillan and Chuba Hubbard are limited with calf issues. Others like Rico Dowdle, Jaycee Horn, and Taylor Moton are rested, and Hunter Renfrow is not facing an injury concern.

McMillan leads Carolina with 14 catches for 216 yards through three games, making his availability pivotal. The Panthers promote Jimmy Horn Jr. to the active depth chart, potentially widening the target tree if McMillan misses time. The 1-2 Panthers face the 1-2 Patriots in a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX, looking to exploit depth and maximize opportunities from a reshaped skill-position group.

New England hosts Carolina in Week 4 as two 1-2 clubs meet in a game that could shape early-season narratives. Bryce Young’s development remains uneven, flashing high-end decision-making but occasional turnover risk that worries fantasy managers. Carolina’s passing attack hinges on Tetairoa McMillan when healthy, with Xavier Legette stepping in as a complementary playmaker. Derrick Brown anchors a formidable Panthers front, while New England will lean on the ground game to control tempo.

Expect a grind-it-out, clock-minting affair where the Patriots must win the trenches and protect the ball, and Carolina must avoid self-inflicted mistakes while popping for big plays when opportunities arise. The 5.5-point spread suggests a tight finish rather than a blowout, with fantasy upside hinging on McMillan’s availability, Brown’s interior disruption, and the Patriots’ ability to polarize Young with pressure.