The Dallas Cowboys are hoping for better performances from tight end Jake Ferguson and kicker Brandon Aubrey and another strong showing from quarterback Dak Prescott in the Week 5 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Ferguson recorded just three catches for 11 yards and has now failed to surpass 43 yards in any game this season.
Meanwhile, Aubrey missed his second and third field goals of the season in Week 4, although one of them wasn't his fault because the kick was blocked .
While all that was going on, Prescott crossed the 300-yard mark for the first time this season, and he added one touchdown for good measure.
With Week 5 upon us, here's how we're handling Ferguson, Aubrey and Prescott in fantasy football lineups.
Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (3) breaks up a pass to Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson (87) during the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Ferguson has amounted to a touchdown-dependent tight end this season, which doesn't come as much of a surprise for a few reasons.
Not only did he mostly rely on touchdowns to produce in 2025, but he also has to contend with two very good wide receivers for targets in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
There's an opportunity for more yardage for Ferguson this week, though, as the Bucs are ceding the sixth-most receiving yards and eighth most fantasy points per game to tight ends in 2026, per CBS Sports .
Consider Ferguson a TE2 play this week.
Verdict: Start
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws a pass against the Houston Texans during the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Prescott hasn't been quite as productive from a fantasy football standpoint as we'd like, but he's also ranked as QB8 going into this game, according to Fantasy Pros , which makes him an every-week starter in 10-team leagues.
The Buccaneers haven't been too stingy against quarterbacks, with Tampa Bay permitting the 11th-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.
Injuries in the Buccaneers' secondary add to our confidence that Prescott is going to sling it with success on Thursday night.
Verdict: Start
Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey (17) kicks a field goal against the Houston Texans during the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Aubrey and the Cowboys' field goal unit has experienced issues the past few weeks, with Dallas seeing two field goals blocked (and almost three) and Aubrey missing a field goal in that span.
But Aubrey is still pumping out a good amount of points thanks to some long field goals and plenty of extra points on the strength of Dallas' offense scoring touchdowns.
Ranked as K6 overall through four games, Aubrey remains an every-week starter in all formats.
Verdict: Start
- Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI -
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/onsi as Fantasy Football Start or Sit Week 5: Jake Ferguson, Dak Prescott, Brandon Aubrey .
