Leighton Vander Esch GTD

Cowboys' Leighton Vander Esch out 6-8 weeks with broken collarbone

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch will miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing surgery on his broken collarbone.

What It Means:

Vander Esch suffered the injury during the Cowboys' loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. After a fantastic rookie campaign, the 2018 first-rounder made it through only nine games last year before having to undergo neck surgery. It now looks like Vander Esch could be limited to about the same amount of games this season. Joe Thomas, a 29-year-old career reserve, replaced Vander Esch on the field Sunday night. The Cowboys will play the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.

The Rams racked up 153 rushing yards against the Cowboys on Sunday night, sixth-most in the league ahead of Monday night's games. The Cowboys have also given up the seventh-most FanDuel points to opposing backfields through Sunday's contests. With that in mind, Todd Gurley could be someone to target in Week 2 as the Cowboys adjust to life without Vander Esch. Gurley scored 12.7 FanDuel points in his Falcons debut with 56 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 touches. He also drew 5 targets.