Malik Davis Fantasy Stats

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis (hip) is scheduled to undergo hip surgery on Saturday, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Davis injured his hip during Friday's practice, and it appears to be significant enough to require surgery. The 27-year-old will be placed on the Injured Reserve, and he'll miss the first four games of the season. Davis was slated to be the No. 2 back behind Javonte Williams to begin the season. Now, Emari Demercado will slide into the role unless the Cowboys make another move ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the New York Giants. Fantasy managers who had Davis rostered might want to turn their attention towards Demercado as a handcuff option behind Williams.

Dallas Cowboys backup running back Malik Davis (hip) suffered a hip injury in Friday's practice and has been ruled out for the Week 1 season opener on Sunday night against the division-rival New York Giants, according to Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News. Co-owner Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that Davis suffered a "pretty serious injury" on Friday that "could take him out for some period of time." It is an extremely tough break for Davis, who was going to get his shot as the primary RB2 in Dallas in 2026 after the team surprisingly cut both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah in training camp. Now that Davis looks headed for an extended absence, fantasy managers who have Javonte Williams rostered may want to handcuff Emari Demercado to him to begin the regular season. Israel Abanikanda is the only other RB on the Cowboys' practice squad at the moment.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis (undisclosed) was carted off the practice field on Friday due to an injury, a source told Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS. The Cowboys are looking into the severity of Davis' injury, but it does not look good for him playing on Sunday night in the Week 1 season opener against the division-rival New York Giants at the moment. The Cowboys surprisingly cut both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah at the end of training camp, giving Davis a clear path to full-time RB2 duties in Dallas in 2026 behind starter Javonte Williams. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent from Florida did not play at all in 2024 but returned to carry the ball 52 times in 2025 for 250 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games played, adding two receptions for 16 yards. If Davis' injury requires a lengthy absence, Emari Demercado would become the next man up for the Cowboys behind Williams and a priority handcuff pickup off the waiver wire. Stay tuned for an update on Davis' injury on Friday or Saturday.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis is the undisputed No. 2 option on the depth chart, making him a priority target on the waiver wire in fantasy football. Specifically, he has appeal as a handcuff for managers in 14+ team leagues, as well as managers who have Javonte Williams in leagues with 10 or 12 teams. Williams is expected to occupy an every-down role this season, which means he's a candidate for some wear and tear. If he were to miss any time due to injury, his managers would want to be ready to plug and play his replacement, which would be Davis. Adding Davis off the waiver wire doesn't give managers a running back with standalone weekly fantasy value, but rather protects those managers in case Williams misses any time this season. We saw what Davis could do in the lead-back role last year, as he totaled 28 carries, 124 rushing yards, and one touchdown across the two games in which Williams played less than 50% of the snaps.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis is worth stashing as a handcuff in deeper fantasy football leagues. The Cowboys brought in Emari Demercado to round out their backfield this past week, but there's no question that Davis remains the direct backup to Javonte Williams. We expect Williams to occupy an every-down role this year, so Davis doesn't have much standalone value at the moment. However, if Williams were to miss time, Davis would instantly jump into the RB2 range for fantasy purposes. Injuries impacted Williams near the end of last season, giving us an opportunity to see the backup in action. Across the two games in which Williams played less than 50% of the snaps, Davis totaled 28 carries, 124 rushing yards, two catches, 16 receiving yards, and one touchdown. He currently has an ADP of 231.4 in redraft leagues. That price tag indicates that he's going undrafted in most leagues, but we believe managers in leagues with 12+ teams would be justified in drafting Davis if they already have Williams on their roster.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis came out of Sunday's cuts with a much cleaner path behind Javonte Williams. Dallas waived both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, two backs who had spent the summer competing with Davis for the No. 2 job. The timing matters because Davis was already pulling ahead before either move. Jon Machota reported last week that the Cowboys seemed most comfortable with Davis as their RB2, and Cowboys.com made the same call after the second preseason game. Davis gave them reasons to trust him. He led Dallas' backs with 39 yards on seven carries in the preseason opener, then flashed in pass protection against Arizona. He also rushed for 250 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries last season, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt. This still isn't a path to major standalone volume with Williams healthy, and Dallas could add another back after cuts. For now, though, two of Davis' biggest competitors are gone. He's one of the clearest redraft winners from the Cowboys' roster moves.

Nick Eatman of the Dallas Cowboys' official website writes that the running back hierarchy below starter Javonte Williams "is a question mark." They are not even sure anyone besides Williams has a solid spot on the roster, but "one would assume" that Malik Davis "has done enough to remain the backup." Second-year back Jaydon Blue played well in the preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals last week, though, as did Phil Mafah, who turned his only carry into a trip to paydirt. Blue is younger and has more all-around upside, but the 27-year-old Davis is not going away and could at least open the 2026 season as Williams' primary backup until further notice. Mafah and Israel Abanikanda are probably more on the 53-man roster bubble. In the long run in 2026, Blue figures to have the best chance to unseat Davis as Dallas' RB2 if everyone remains healthy. Davis had 52 rushing attempts last year for a career-high 250 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and two touchdowns in 10 games played, and his efficiency carries some weight. He has some handcuff appeal in deeper fantasy leagues, but if you are looking for pure upside in that role, Blue is probably the better bet.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis "seems to be the player with whom the Cowboys are most comfortable" in the RB2 role behind starting back Javonte Williams, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Davis played in 10 games for Dallas in 2025, recording 250 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries. The 27-year-old has been competing for the Cowboys' RB2 role in training camp with 2025 draftees Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. While Machota acknowledges that Blue specifically has the higher upside, he predicts that Davis will open the year as Dallas' primary backup. As long as Williams remains healthy, neither Davis nor Blue is likely to see a fantasy-relevant workload. Still, fantasy managers searching for a handcuff option for Williams may want to target Davis with a late-round draft pick.

Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis looked like the forgotten man in this backfield earlier in camp. He's making that harder to justify now. Davis led Dallas with 39 yards on seven carries in the preseason opener, and Brian Schottenheimer praised his vision and feel for the blocking scheme afterward. He was also the first back on the field after Javonte Williams during team work earlier this week. Davis has handled a bigger load before. When Williams went down in Week 17 last season, the 5-foot-10, 205-pound back ran 20 times for 103 yards. He finished the year with 250 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries. Dallas' unofficial depth chart still has Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah ahead of him, so Davis hasn't won the backup job. Blue's shoulder issue and Mafah's recent injury have given him another opening, though, and he's taking advantage of it. RotoBaller has Davis at RB92 in PPR. He's outside normal redraft range, but this backup race is a lot less settled than it looked earlier in camp.

ESPN's Todd Archer writes that there will be a battle for the No. 2 running back role in training camp this summer behind starter Javonte Williams that will consist of Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah, and Malik Davis. Davis won the job a year ago and had a 100-yard game, but he "seems to be something of a forgotten man entering camp." The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of the University of Florida had 52 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns in his third NFL season in 2025, adding two receptions for 16 yards for the Cowboys. It sounds as though Davis is going to need to step up in camp to hold off both Blue and Mafah. Blue didn't live up to expectations in his rookie campaign, but he has impressed the coaching staff this offseason and can be a difference-maker with his speed. Mafah, a seventh-rounder last year, could also be a dependable depth back. Davis averaged a healthy 4.8 yards in 2025, but he doesn't have any standout traits in the backfield and isn't much of a pass-catcher. Don't automatically assume that he's the handcuff to roster in 2026 if you take Williams.