Ezekiel Elliott
28-Year-Old
2023 Rush/Rec Stats
ATT
184
YDS
642
TD
3
YDS
313
TD
2
2024 Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Now back in Dallas after one year in exile, Elliott returns to find his former successor has left behind the entire workload he and Elliott once fought for, to great debate from fantasy football observers at the time. The big Elliott vs. Tony Pollard debate has no clear winner, but Pollard is in Tennessee now and it's only the likes of Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn that Elliott needs to hold off. Even at two years older than the last time around, Elliott should prove easily superior to Dowdle and Vaughn. Vaughn's rookie year was quite discouraging in 2023, and Dowdle is a career backup type. Even if Elliott lost a step or two he should be easily be the top running back in Dallas, assuming the Cowboys don't add any other notable runners by trade before training camp. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Gets $1.75 million guaranteed
Elliott's one-year, $2 million contract with the Cowboys includes $1.75 million guaranteed, and he can earn up to $1 million more via incentives, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
All of the incentives require Dallas making the playoffs, with the other parts entailing Elliott playing more than half the team's snaps ($500,000), scoring 10 touchdowns ($250,000) or reaching 1,100 yards from scrimmage ($250,000). He did all three of those things in 2021, and two of the three in his most recent season with the Cowboys (2022). A one-year sojourn to New England proved less productive, though Elliott handled some huge workloads late in the season after Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high-ankle injury, averaging 14.8 carries and 5.2 catches over the Patriots' final six games. The Cowboys probably won't call on him that often, even with their other backfield options -- Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner -- being less than stellar. The Cowboys didn't draft a running back in April, and none of their veterans besides Elliott has ever run for more than 521 yards in a season.
All of the incentives require Dallas making the playoffs, with the other parts entailing Elliott playing more than half the team's snaps ($500,000), scoring 10 touchdowns ($250,000) or reaching 1,100 yards from scrimmage ($250,000). He did all three of those things in 2021, and two of the three in his most recent season with the Cowboys (2022). A one-year sojourn to New England proved less productive, though Elliott handled some huge workloads late in the season after Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high-ankle injury, averaging 14.8 carries and 5.2 catches over the Patriots' final six games. The Cowboys probably won't call on him that often, even with their other backfield options -- Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis and Snoop Conner -- being less than stellar. The Cowboys didn't draft a running back in April, and none of their veterans besides Elliott has ever run for more than 521 yards in a season.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Ezekiel Elliott's 2023 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Broken Tackle %
8.2%Positive Run %
78.8%% Yds After Contact
69.3%Avg Yds After Contact
2.4Rushing TD %
1.6%Touches Per Game
13.8% Snaps w/Touch
44.9%Air Yards Per Game
-2.7Air Yards Per Snap
-0.09% Team Air Yards
-1.2%% Team Targets
12.0%Avg Depth of Target
-0.7 YdsCatch Rate
78.5%Drop Rate
4.6%Avg Yds After Catch
8.6% Targeted On Route
26.2%Avg Yds Per Route Run
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Ezekiel Elliott lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
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Side
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2023 Ezekiel Elliott Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do Ezekiel Elliott's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 0"Weight
225 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.47 secVertical Jump
32.5 inBroad Jump
118 inHand Length
10.25 inArm Length
31.25 in
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ezekiel Elliott See More
Jim Coventry analyzes veteran winners and losers from this year's draft, including Dak Prescott, who benefited from whom the Cowboys did *not* draft.
Saquon Barkley's move to Philly was one of many significant offseason changes, and with the NFL Draft out of the way, Kevin Payne analyzes the fantasy fallout.
Zeke is back in Dallas and won't have to compete with a rookie draft pick for playing time. Check out the other big winners from draft weekend, with analysis from RW's Jerry Donabedian.
Most of the big ADP changes can be easily explained, but there are also guys like Isiah Pacheco and Kenneth Walker dropping down the ranks for unclear reasons.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Cowboys reunion likelier than ever
Elliott, who remains a free agent, seems increasingly likely to return to the Cowboys in the near future, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Elliott spent 2023 with the Patriots, but he played with the Cowboys for the seven seasons prior after Dallas selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The veteran back and his agent already had a meeting with team brass earlier in the week, and owner Jerry Jones noted the Cowboys were "keenly interested" in what might develop with Elliott while also praising the way he played for New England at the end of last season, when he filled in for an injured Rhamondre Stevenson.
Elliott spent 2023 with the Patriots, but he played with the Cowboys for the seven seasons prior after Dallas selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. The veteran back and his agent already had a meeting with team brass earlier in the week, and owner Jerry Jones noted the Cowboys were "keenly interested" in what might develop with Elliott while also praising the way he played for New England at the end of last season, when he filled in for an injured Rhamondre Stevenson.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Elliott is 28, but his "football age" might be closer to 30 given the mammoth workloads he has shouldered since his 2014 collegiate season. Elliott was a workhorse of rare quality at his peak, providing both volume and efficiency while totaling 2,803 touches in 131 games since 2014 (21.4 touches per game). Even a 228-pound back with outstanding ability to weave around would-be tacklers is going to take a beating with a workload like that. This isn't to say Elliott is completely toast -- he can still play, and his decreased YPC the last two years was partially due to playing through knee sprains (PCL in 2021, MCL in 2022) and taking short-yardage carries and other runs up the middle, while teammate Tony Pollard largely skipped such tasks. The Cowboys released Elliott in March, and he signed with the Patriots in August. In New England, he'll serve as a complementary option behind lead back Rhamondre Stevenson. While that role will limit his touches, he still could get goal-line work.
More Fantasy News
Returning to Dallas
Elliott agreed to terms Monday to a contract with the Cowboys, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
ANALYSIS
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Meeting with Dallas
Elliott's agent will meet with the Cowboys in Dallas on Wednesday, Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports.
ANALYSIS
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Could reunite with Dallas
Elliott and the Cowboys have mutual interest in possibly reuniting, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Gets 18 touches in Week 18
Elliott rushed 13 times for 54 yards and caught five of seven targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 17-3 loss to the Jets.
ANALYSIS
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Finds end zone in Buffalo
Elliott carried the ball 14 times for 39 yards and a touchdown and caught one of two targets for six yards in Sunday's 27-21 loss to the Bills.
ANALYSIS
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