Will the Cowboys bring back Ezekiel Elliott? Fantasy Football Outlook

The Dallas Cowboys released running back Ezekiel Elliott this offseason after a disappointing 2022 year. The veteran back finished the season with a career-low 231 carries and 876 yards in 15 games. Elliott did rush for 12 touchdowns (tied for the second most of his career in a season) but averaged a mere 3.79 yards per carry. 

The release was expected because of the Cowboys' cap situation and the running back's season. Dallas saved more than $10.9 million towards their cap space in 2023, and the move opened the door for Tony Pollard to be the new RB1 in the offense. 

But is a reunion in the works to bring Elliott back? What would his fantasy outlook look like back in Dallas? Let's take a look. 

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Will the Cowboys bring back Ezekiel Elliott?

Owner Jerry Jones has not ruled out bringing back Elliott for the 2023 season. On Monday, Jones met with reporters and reiterated that he hasn't closed the door on a possible reunion with the former All-Pro back. 

Elliott still remains a free agent and has yet to find a new home following his release in March. Shortly after being cut, the 27-year-old running shared a wish list of teams he would love to go to: Cincinnati Bengals, New York Jets, and Philadelphia Eagles. But all three teams seem content with their current running back group. 

The return of Elliott to Dallas makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys. The team lacks a power runner behind Pollard. Malik Davis, Ronald Jones, and Deuce Vaughn all lack size. The team could roll with undrafted rookie fullback Hunter Luepke, but bringing back a veteran like Elliott, on a cheaper one-year deal, could help big time. 

Ezekiel Elliott's Fantasy Outlook With The Cowboys

If the Cowboys bring back Elliott, he could be a solid weekly flex play with RB2 upside in 2023. He put together the worst fantasy football season of his career last season. However, he was still inserted in fantasy lineups almost every week, finishing as the RB22 in PPR formats. 

Elliott had 10 double-digit performances, averaged 12.39 fantasy points per game, and scored a touchdown in nine straight games he played in from Week 6 to Week 17. 

With Pollard locked in as the RB1, Elliott would complement him in short-yard and goal-to-go situations -- similar to how he did in 2022. He might take on a slighter workload in Dallas this year. But in a high-scoring Cowboys offense, he should be a touchdown machine again and provide weekly flex numbers, if he were to re-sign with them.  

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