Dallas faces Green Bay in Week 4 with major injuries to Lamb, Booker and Beebe, forcing a TE-heavy, 12-personnel approach to stay competitive. The defense must pressure Jordan Love, leaning on zone blitzes to compensate for a pass-rush that hasn’t lived up to expectations. Offensively, Dallas must protect the edge and lean on Brevyn Spann-Ford and Hunter Luepke to unlock the underneath game while sustaining a productive ground game against a stout Packers front.

Micah Parsons returns to AT&T Stadium this Sunday for the first time since Dallas traded him to Green Bay for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark. Jerry Jones won’t stage a tribute, instead touting the Cowboys’ ongoing antidotes for the exit. The swap funded extensions for DaRon Bland, Hunter Luepke, and Tyler Smith, while Parsons operates in a limited role with Green Bay and has 1.5 sacks. Dallas’ lack of immediate pass rush since the deal underscores the fantasy fallout.

Parsons’ reunion visit will shape how fantasy managers view both sides’ defenses and the Packers’ edge upside this season, while also coloring the Cowboys’ payroll flexibility and future asset strategy. Emmitt Smith weighs in as a contrast to the ceremonial return, highlighting how teams balance sentiment with long‑term cap plans.

The Cowboys locked in Tyler Smith through 2030 with a four-year, $96 million extension, including $80 million guaranteed—the richest ever for a guard. Smith, 24, anchors Dallas’ young OL core as they reshaped the roster with four long-term deals, including Ferguson, Bland, and Luepke. Dallas also reshuffled with a trade that sent Micah Parsons to Green Bay for two first-round picks and Kenny Clark, creating cap space and preserving a payroll that now leans on Smith as a cornerstone while eyeing more extensions like Aubrey, Pickens, and Williams.

Dallas opened 2025 with Javonte Williams punching in from a yard out for the Cowboys’ first TD, six plays after Jalen Carter’s ejection and a quick 53-yard march. CeeDee Lamb snagged pivotal early catches to set up the scoring drive as Dak Prescott started hot. Williams shares the backfield with Miles Sanders and Hunter Luepke, signaling a flexible, multi-weapon attack for fantasy rosters.

This opener underscored a Dallas offense that can lean on the run game in short-yardage while keeping Lamb as the primary aerial weapon. Williams’ 1-yard TD hints at a meaningful early role in a backfield that can sustain varied game plans, while Sanders provides reliable upside as a featured contributor.