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Could Dak Prescott be underrated in aftermath of Cowboys trading for George Pickens?

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

Early May is usually a lull in the NFL calendar, but not this year. Tuesday's surprise trade sending receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys gave Andy Behrens and Matt Harmon plenty to talk about on the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast.

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The duo discussed several aspects of the Pickens trade, but among the big takeaways is the deal could mean big things for Dak Prescott's fantasy value. The veteran now appears to have top-eight quarterback upside behind the best receiving options he’s had in years.

Andy points out that Prescott was “the MVP runner-up two years ago. He led the NFL in touchdown passes. You know, we’re like a year removed from that. He’s had a 4,900 yard passing season. He’s been a really, really good fantasy asset over the years.” 

The Cowboys have upgraded their WR2 spot by trading for Pickens, forming a dynamic duo with CeeDee Lamb. Harmon notes: “Now that (Dak) has CeeDee Lamb, one of the best receivers in the league, and George Pickens, who I think fits really well as a really good No. 2 receiver, that just looks so much better on paper than CeeDee Lamb and like a rotating cast of characters.”

Harmon believes Dallas’ offense is set up for fantasy success, especially with how Lamb and Pickens complement each other perfectly: “These guys work so, so well together. CeeDee Lamb, he leads the NFL in the last two years with yards from the slot … Pickens is a boundary guy.”

“Most people seem to have (Prescott) like QB18, QB20, but he’s a better player than that,” Behrens says. “One of the bummers of this to me is that I think it’s going to wake people up a little bit to how under-ranked Dak Prescott had been.”

Prescott has remained healthy — starting 16 or more games in six of nine seasons — and provided consistent play when he's returned post-injury. Couple that with the offensive upgrades and his own previous elite finishes, and there’s every reason to expect another top-tier year if health holds. 

Behrens predicts, "Dak Prescott is very likely, in a healthy season, to be a top-eightish fantasy quarterback."

Time will tell if the projection comes true, but there's clearly a case to be made for Prescott as a fantasy-draft value this season.