When it comes to the popular Dallas Cowboys, there are those fans who are absolutely in love with their “boys”, and those rivals who want to see “America’s Team” suffer annihilation every week. Even though the Cowboys haven’t been to the playoffs since 2009, or graced the Super Bowl with their presence since 1996, for which they won, the team still scores big on the field and even better than that, scores respectable fantasy points for their owners.

Dallas is a pass-heavy team and when Quarterback Tony Romo starts throwing that football to his various receivers and to his best tight end, that equals fantasy points for us. Over the past couple of seasons if you owned one of the Cowboys on your fantasy team, he probably kept a permanent spot in your lineup each week, that is unless an injury occurred.

Tony Romo, Quarterback

Even if you do not follow football, I think everyone has heard of the highly publicized and often criticized Tony Romo. Romo, who has been with the Dallas Cowboys since 2003, is one of those guys much like the Cowboys themselves, where you either love him or hate him. Last year the Cowboys ended their season 8-8 and they have not touched the playoffs since 2009. Real Cowboy fans find these stats frustrating, but for fantasy owners, Romo still produces a worthy amount of fantasy points even when they lost.

Last year he threw for 4,903 yards and 28 touchdowns and finished 13th in fantasy points for quarterbacks, but an impressive seventh in passing yards. If he could get those pesky interceptions under control, which should improve this year because of his new combined coaching role, we will even see more fantasy points from him. I say have faith in Romo in 2013 for your fantasy quarterback. He just began clicking quite nicely with Wide Receiver Dez Bryant towards the last part of the season in 2012 and this alone should improve his fantasy stats for next year.

2013 Projected Statistics: 5,446 Passing Yards, 33 Touchdowns, 13 Interceptions

Dez Bryant, Wide Receiver

Dez Bryant, who has been with the Cowboys since they drafted him in 2010, has showed modest, gradual improvement from 2010-2011 and into the beginning of 2012. At the start of the 2012 season he endured a short period of time where he was losing ball control, and costing fantasy owners some deductions in fantasy points due to the fumbles. If you did not let this bother you too much and held on to Bryant and continued to play him each week, you reaped the benefits starting around week 11 where Bryant suddenly began to explode.

Who cares if the Cowboys didn’t win, as long as Romo was passing that ball to Dez, you were swimming in fantasy points from him. Bryant ended up finishing 2012 ninth in wide receiver fantasy points, catching for an awesome 1,421 yards and scoring 12 touchdowns. The chemistry that Bryant found with Romo last year will only improve in 2013. Most wide receiver rankings have Dez seated among the top five and you should look to grab him as the first wide receiver you draft with the exception of Lions’ beastly Wide Receiver, Calvin Johnson.  Those who draft Bryant in 2013, will be in possession of a number one, quality wide receiver for their fantasy team.

2013 Projected Statistics: 1,638 Receiving Yards, 120 Receptions, 13 Touchdowns

DeMarco Murray, Running Back

While Dallas will continue with its pass-heavy play strategy, the running game is still critical for the Cowboys. Murray, who was drafted by the Cowboys in 2011, was their third string running back for the first part of the season until he was called to duty after fellow running back Felix Jones suffered an ankle injury. Murray made quite the debut that year as he continued to fill in for Jones and in one game had an amazing 25 carries and rushed for 253 yards, which broke the single game rushing record held by the legendary Emmitt Smith. Fantasy owners holding high waiver priority after that week were salivating at the idea of snatching Murray up off the waiver wires. I was one of those lucky ones, by the way. Murray continued to impress his new fantasy owners with quality production until he suffered a fractured ankle combined with a sprain in week 14 of 2011, finishing him off for the season.

Knowing that Murray had earned the Cowboys’ starting running back role for 2012, fantasy owners confidently drafted him. What they ended up getting instead with Murray, present company included, was a “back to reality” version of a less-than-average running back. Mixed in with decent weeks were sluggish ones and Murray was once again injured and missed a number of games in 2012. He finished at a disappointing 30th place for running backs, had 701 rush yards and only four touchdowns. Overall, he was a big letdown for fantasy owners who drafted him hoping for 2011 results.

For the 2013 season, I would draft him with caution and would consider him a flex option at best until he proves otherwise. Murray fans can remain hopeful that perhaps he was just experiencing a sophomore slump, and the energy and talent we watched in 2011 will resurface this year.

2013 Projected Statistics:  880 Rushing Yards and 6 Touchdowns

Jason Witten, Tight End

If you are a Cowboys’ fan, you are likely a big fan of Dallas' tight end Witten, the one receiving competitive threat to Bryant you should be concerned about. The eight-time pro-bowler consistently brings in reputable fantasy points each season, as he finished eighth for tight ends last year and seventh in 2011. Unfortunately last year, he scored a measly three touchdowns, but made up for it excelling in receiving yards with 1,045 which was second highest for tight ends in 2012. Romo and Witten have both been with the Cowboys since 2003 and they share a powerful connection which should continue to thrive in 2013. Fantasy owners who have Witten on their team next year should remain confident that this tight end will earn consistent, decent fantasy points on a weekly basis.

2013 Projected Statistics: 878 Receiving Yards, 92 Receptions and 7 Touchdowns