WR · DAL · 26 yrs · exp 2 · Southeast Missouri State
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Latest: Jul 24, 2026 · 1,974
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Despite flashes of potential, Ryan Flournoy remains a limited fantasy option for the Cowboys due to the presence of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. He is best left for late-round best ball picks and waivers in traditional leagues
The Dallas Cowboys head out to training camp in California at the end of this month, and this means that after one week into August, they will have spent a week in Oxnard. That point is important for today’s discussion because we are about to look into that exact spot in the future. Here are three headlines that we predict will emerge from the first week of Cowboys training camp. Something we will likely see when training camp begins is the Cowboys taking things slow with George Pickens . CeeDee Lamb will also likely get a veteran day or two. Ultimately there are going to be more opportunities than normal for a player like Ryan Flournoy, and he has already made it a point to make the most of what he is given to work with. This is the classic sort of headline that emerges from training camp, and if you squint your eyes enough you can even see a world where people are suggeesting trading him away for help elsewhere. Think about the conversations we would have when Lamb, Amari Cooper , and Michael Gallup were frolicking around Oxnard. Obviously the Cowboys have had work sessions since drafting Caleb Downs, but training camp is a different animal. This is where the real and true work begins. It stands to reason that Caleb Downs is going to really announce himself. His presence on the team feels similar to Micah Parsons ’ in that they are both standouts on defense, but Parsons wasn’t exactly who he became during his rookie training camp. In this way Downs feels like someone he shares an alma mater with in Ezekiel Elliott . The world of Cowboys Nation is ready and hungry for Caleb Downs to take center stage, and it stands to reason that we will see this exact phenomenon unfold. It is normal as humans to try and connect dots. We innately want to answer questions. The biggest question on defense right now is who is going to support the team at linebacker. We have been carrying this question for months, and the most significant answer by way of a roster move was the trade for Dee Winters. Training camp is the exact opportunity where that work starts to be shown. Winters will have a legitimate chance to show that he is the proper piece in place for the heart of Christian Parker’s defense, and it would be a common training camp trope (not to say that it wouldn’t be real or legitimate) to hear that he is doing so in a successful way. What headlines do you anticipate seeing after the first week of training camp? Let us know in the comments below
When it comes to the state of the Dallas Cowboys there are a lot of things about the team that we really like. Obviously each of us has our specific things. We all “like” something because it seems to provide the team an edge. We’d all love for the Cowboys to have the best this, the best that, and for those things to help push the overall team over the bigger edge in a way that hasn’t happened in a generation and then some. Where would you say they have the biggest “edge”, though? Ryan Flournoy (pictured above) is the third option from a wide receiver standpoint for the Cowboys as CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens command the top spot. It is easy to develop rose-colored glasses for players on our favorite team, but Flournoy would probably command more snaps and attention elsewhere. To be fair the NFL is hardly hurting for wide receivers these days. This is far and away where the Cowboys are strongest, the triumvirate of Lamb, Pickens, and Flournoy. This presents their greatest strength and as they are, through the passing game, an extension of one of the team’s other top talents in quarterback Dak Prescott . The passing game overall is sort of where this team wins the battle on a week in and week out basis. In trying to answer this question, I honestly don’t know where else you could go but wide receiver. Maybe you could say Dak individually, but that feels like a serious stretch. The offensive line is solid, but not overly impressive right now. The interior of the defensive line carries enormous potential, but it hasn’t been fully realized and Quinnen Williams hasn’t even played a full season yet. Maybe you believe the Cowboys boast their biggest advantage relative to their peers somewhere other than wide receiver. If you do, or if you agree with this, let us know in the comments below
ESPN's ranking of NFL projected starters placed the Dallas Cowboys at number 14, around average. The Cowboys' biggest strength is their wide receiver room, led by CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, with Ryan Flournoy and KaVontae Turpin adding depth. The biggest weakness is cornerback, with an unproven group including DaRon Bland, newly acquired Cobie Durant and Derion Kendrick, and second-year player Shavon Revel Jr. Safety Caleb Downs is identified as a potential X factor
Drops: Ryan Flournoy
The idea of bold predictions is so interesting. We step out on a limp and try to forecast something that feels impossible on most levels, but few of them leave it slightly within range if we squint our eyes. Today we are going to be talking about bold predictions that feel bold now, but later on down the road it might feel plain and obvious. These things tend to happen over time. Imagine if, for example, someone had said that rookie Ezekiel Elliott would lead the league in rushing while the Dallas Cowboys took home the top seed in the NFC. That was a decade ago and a lot has changed, but you get the idea. Let’s begin. This is an interesting year for the Cowboys offense. Opposing teams are obviously aware of how potent the group was last season, and it stands to reason that George Pickens may receive more attention on a game-by-game basis than he did in his inaugural season with the team. Still though he has proven to be an extremely dangerous threat opposite of CeeDee Lamb , and considering that Ryan Flournoy presents as a very serviceable third option, there are plenty of players to guard on defense. This feels similar to 2021 when the Cowboys had a tried and true trio of Lamb, Amari Cooper , and Michael Gallup . We never really got to see the three of them shine on a game-by-game basis for a variety of reasons, but the composition of everything led to the emergence of Dalton Schultz . That season was the first of consecutive ones where Schultz averaged double-digits per reception. Jake Ferguson has already done this in a season, incidentally the first that Schultz was gone, back in 2023 when Dak Prescott finished second in MVP voting. Circumstances around Ferguson feel similar to what they did around Schultz a handful of years ago, and he may be the most primary beneficiary of all of the other players that opponents have to deal with. This one may be me trying to manifest more than any other. Shavon Revel entered a really volatile situation from an overall perspective last year. He was a highly-touted draft prospect, but given that he was coming off of a torn ACL and that dampened his overall ceiling for his rookie year. Factor in that the Cowboys were still going at things with Trevon Diggs as a part of their plan in the secondary, and that the defense as a whole was so poorly constructed, it was difficult for anybody to properly thrive. An argument can be made that time has allowed for a proper settling for Revel in general, but that the Cowboys doing so as a unit has been helpful in parallel. This is the time when Revel has to remind everyone why there was such high belief around him last year. He is going to have every opportunity in the world to earn a starting job, and you could argue that the only real player ahead of him in the cornerback room at large is DaRon Bland which is a shaky proposition in its own right. Again, this is something that kind of has to happen for the Cowboys to take the next step. It just feels like it might off of the number of opportunities alone. Javonte Williams is well-entrenched as the Cowboys’ primary running back. Williams will get all of the traditional workhorse opportunities in a Schottenheimer sort of offense, one that Brian proved he was able to run along the lines of the NFL’s famed Marty Ball version that his father deployed. In today’s league though, you need to have a number of available options out of the backfield. There are a lot of people wish-casting (as I did with Revel above) that Jaydon Blue could be that player; we are not even a year removed from the coaching staff not exactly trusting him. Things can change, but there is a lot to overcome there. Plus, Phil Mafah represents the type of running that can close out games when matters are close and tough in the fourth quarter. He can help ice games away after the Cowboys offense has done work (with Jake Ferguson averaging 10 yards per reception, obviously!). What are some bold preditions you have that you thi [... truncated ...]
Some wide receivers will complain if the ball isn’t coming their way. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer says that in Ryan Flournoy, he has a wide receiver who can make a difference without the ball in his hands. Flournoy only caught 10 passes as a rookie sixth-round draft pick in 2024, but Schottenheimer says he did all the right things when called on to make blocks downfield and contribute on special teams. That earned Flournoy more playing time in his second season, and he made an impact in 2025 with 40 catches for 475 yards and four touchdowns. “He earned it the right way, he earned it through special teams. He earned it by doing the run blocking, doing the things in the run game -- the dirty work, if you will ,” Schottenheimer said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “Now he’s one of those guys -- because he does everything right -- Dak [Prescott] doesn’t hesitate when he looks at him. He just turns it loose. He gets to his spot.” When you’re a sixth-round receiver on a team with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, you’re not going to be a first option, so you’re going to have to prove yourself by making the most of any opportunity you get. Flournoy has done that. His success serves as a good lesson for every late-round draft pick in the NFL
The Dallas Cowboys are making roster predictions for their 2026 season, with key decisions looming at wide receiver, tight end, and along the offensive line. While CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson are expected to retain their spots, notable cuts like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Luke Schoonmaker are anticipated. Sam Howell is favored for the backup quarterback role over Joe Milton, and Phil Mafah is projected to edge out Malik Davis at running back. Defensive players Reddy Steward and Trikweze Bridges face uncertain futures despite significant playing time last season
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer singled out wide receiver Ryan Flournoy as a player who stood out during the team's offseason workouts during organized team activities and minicamp, according to Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News. "Ryan Flournoy, I really think is taking the next step," Schottenheimer said. "I think he has a chance to be a terrific receiver in this league." The 26-year-old former sixth-rounder in 2024 out of Southeast Missouri State is the unquestioned WR3 going into the 2026 season behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and he has been given more of a leadership role this offseason as he heads into his third year in the NFL. Flournoy took a big step in his second season last year, catching 40 passes for 475 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (four starts) after posting a 10-102-0 line in his rookie campaign. RotoBaller currently has Flournoy ranked at No. 63 at the WR position, but if anything were to happen to either Lamb or Pickens, he'd become a must-add off the waiver wire in Dallas' pass-happy offense
Coach Brian Schottenheimer singled out Flournoy as someone who stood out during spring practices, Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News reports. "You saw him take that step, I'd say in the middle of the season last year and he came back, man, with just a really strong intent for what he wanted to get done," Schottenheimer said. "He looks great. He's moving great. His routes, I think have gotten better. Here's a guy from a small school that's come in and really adapted to the way we teach route breaks and releases and speed terms and power cuts and things like that. I really think the sky's the limit for him and he's definitely a guy we see finding ways to get him the ball." Flournoy is locked into the Cowboys' third receiver spot behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and he's one of the best bench stashes at the wideout spot in fantasy. If either Lamb or Pickens were to get injured, Flournoy would assume an every-down role in a high-octane passing attack. With Lamb out for three games last regular season, Flournoy produced one of his two 100-yard receiving games and was targeted 17 times across those three contests
Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy made two catches for 8 yards and fumbled in his preseason debut after the team made him a sixth-round pick in 2024. After that, perhaps no one saw Flournoy ending up where he is now. He earned the Cowboys’ No. 3 job at the position, posting career-highs in receiving yards (407), receptions (35) and touchdowns (four) last season. Last season gave him confidence heading into this season behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. “It definitely had a big impact on it, just because I know I belong ,” Flournoy said, via Tommy Yarrish of the team website. “I know the offense now. I know how to operate as a professional. Coming in from college, coming in from a small school, you kind of get drowned out. Just trying to navigate what works for you and seeing what works for others, my confidence skyrocketed after I found what worked for me.” Flournoy, who played at Southeast Missouri State, received extra reps this offseason with Pickens skipping all of the voluntary work and Lamb opting out of some of it. He’s ready for whatever the Cowboys need from him. I’m just out there playing freely,” Flournoy said. “I know what’s on the play sheet. I know the calls. I know what play to run. For me, I’m not out there thinking. I’m just out there executing.”
We’ve officially reached the dead part of the season after mandatory minicamp wrapped last week, but things feel quite sunny in Cowboys Nation. There’s palpable excitement about the new defense , the talking heads are whispering about the Cowboys as a potential top offense , George Pickens showed up for minicamp, both coordinators are already being discussed as potential head coaches , and Shotty ‘ could not be more happy ‘ with the Cowboys’ offseason. All that must have made even the most jaded and weary Cowboys fans feel all warm and tingly inside, even if competitive football is still three months away. Bill Parcells, who seemingly has a soundbite for every occasion in life, has a Parcells-ism for exactly this situation: “Don’t eat the cheese.” At this point in the offseason, there are a lot of promises floating in the (thin?) air, and there’s a lot of work still to be done. One thing the Cowboys have already done is bolster their roster with free agents and trade acquisitions, which is why today we’ll take a look at the positional rankings (or percentile rankings) of the new players the Cowboys brought in and how they potentially complement the existing roster. The idea behind positional rankings is to find a metric that makes all players in the league comparable. Currently, the only service that offers a metric for every single player in the league is Pro Football Focus (PFF), but instead of looking at the grades they assign to the players, we’re going to look at where a given player is ranked relative to the other players in the league at his position. Example: PFF ranks wide receivers by the cumulative grade they have received so far this season. That ranking lists all 146 wide receivers who had at least 15 targets last year. Going by their overall grade, George Pickens is ranked as the seventh-best wide receiver in the league, CeeDee Lamb is 24th, and Ryan Flournoy is 18th. Because each position group has a different number of qualifying players (e.g. the QB list only features 43 players with at least 150 dropbacks, most other position groups have more), to make the rankings comparable across all positions, I’ve converted all positional rankings to a scale of 0 – 100. The highest ranked player at a position gets 100 points, the lowest ranked player gets zero. By that logic, Pickens gets a 95 positional ranking [ (1-7/146) x 100 ], Lamb gets an 84, and Flournoy gets an 88. With me so far? I repeated that calculation for all Cowboys acquisitions and returning players based on the overall ranking scale provided by PFF and divided the results into quintiles, which delivers the following positional ranking groups: body .sbnu-legacy-content-table td, body .sbnu-legacy-content-table th, body .sbnu-legacy-content-table { border: 1px solid #000 !important; border-collapse: collapse !important; } body .sbnu-legacy-content-table td, body .sbnu-legacy-content-table th { padding: 4px 6px !important; } Positional Ranking Description 100-80 Blue-Chip Players 79-60 NFL starter quality at position 59-40 Average to slightly below average player 39-20 Underperformer 19-0 Red Flag A player marked in blue is ranked in the top 20% of players at his position group, a player marked in green is ranked in the top 40% of players at his position, and so on. To qualify, all players must meet some kind of minimum playtime threshold. For most positions, that threshold is 150 snaps or dropbacks, but for WRs, RBs, TEs, and specialists, the threshold is 15 targets, rush attempts, or attempts. As you review the figures and charts in the rest of this post, keep in mind that the numbers give a directional indication of how a player performed last year, but shouldn’t be seen as a definitive statement of a player’s quality. While I’m confident that a player marked in blue had a better year than a player marked in yellow, there is probably less of a difference between players with a value of, say, 75 and 85 than the numbers and the col [... truncated ...]
Ryan Flournoy is reportedly being utilized more in the slot during offseason activities and appears to be the frontrunner for the Cowboys' WR3 position. He had a modest statistical output last season with 40 receptions for 475 yards and four touchdowns, but may remain off the fantasy radar due to the team's deep offensive talent
Ryan Flournoy, a 26-year-old wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys, showed flashes in his second season but remains a deep dynasty stash. He accumulated 475 receiving yards in 15 games in 2025, with significant portions coming in two specific games. In other contests, he averaged under 19 yards per game. While he could see more opportunities if CeeDee Lamb or Jake Ferguson miss time, his current value is limited, making him a potential trade candidate in shallower leagues
As the 2026 NFL season approaches, several offensive players are poised for breakout performances. Among them is WR Ryan Flournoy, who is being watched for his potential to provide the Cowboys with depth at wide receiver, possibly serving as insurance for George Pickens. Additionally, offensive linemen Tyler Paul and Zach Beebe are highlighted for their potential to significantly improve and establish themselves as key players for their respective teams
In 2026, Ryan Flournoy feels about as locked in to his role with the Dallas Cowboys as a player can be. Ahead of his third season, Flournoy enters training camp wth a firm spot on the WR depth chart, even if he takes his game to another level. Years in NFL: 2 Acquired by: 2024 6th-round pick Flournoy rode an impressive college career at Southeast Missouri State to NFL draft consideration in 2024. He offered physicality, athleticism, and proven ball skills, but was knocked for a lack of refinement in his technique and his small-school experience. As such, he dropped to the later rounds before the Cowboys finally took him in the sixth. In his first camp and preseason, Flournoy made strong early impressions. His good hands and physical running after the catch were immediately noticeable. Some even drew comparisons to Cowboys legend Dez Bryant , at least stylistically. The hype was enough that Dallas didn’t risk Flournoy on the practice squad as a rookie, going long with six receivers to keep him safe. He would appear in 11 games due to various injuries, but didn’t get many looks with just 10 catches on 14 targets. Last August, Flournoy was surprisingly waived at final cuts. But the team brought him back almost immediately, using the roster spot to facilitate its trade for backup offensive lineman Trevor Keegan . It ultimately felt more like roster math hijinks than an indictment on Flournoy, but Dallas did risk losing him to waivers. Thankfully they avoided that outcome. After limited work in the first four games, Flournoy got the start in Week 5 due to a CeeDee Lamb injury. He produced 114 yards on six catches, making the Jets pay for keying on George Pickens . It was the start of Flournoy’s emergence as Dallas’ clear number-three receiver, which Jalen Tolbert and Jonathan Mingo had failed to do. Flournoy finished 2025 with 40 catches, 475 yards, and four touchdowns on just 56 targets. Years Left: 1 2026 Cap Hit: $1.08 million Had Flournoy not been waived last year, his original rookie deal would still be in effect through 2027. But when Dallas signed him back off the practice squad, it was to just a two-year contract. Flournoy is the winner here, likely cashing in on his success next spring with about a $5 million raise as a retricted free agent. Depending on where things are with Pickens’ contract, we’ll see if the Cowboys try to lock up Flournoy with a long-term deal before he’d be unrestricted in 2028. Role: WR3 Roster Chance: 100% Again, this couldn’t be much simpler. As long as the Pickens negotiations go better than Dallas’ last financial fray with a star player, we know who the starting receivers will be. Flournoy remains clearly at number three as the Cowboys did not make any major moves at receiver this offseason. Turpin is still here as the return specialist and gadget guy on offense, but he’s not threatening to move up. Mingo is fighting just to stay in the league at this point, as is 31-year-old Marques Valdes-Scantling and fellow veteran Tyler Johnson. They’ll be battling young prospects like Traeshon Holden , Anthony Smith, Jordan Hudson, and others for the fifth and maybe sixth spots on the roster. Of course, we never know if a young guy like Holden or Smith could make a stunning push. After all, we just saw that from Flournoy himself. But with continuity on offense and an upward trajectory from last year, Flournoy appears highly likely to keep advancing. And if Pickens does end up playing on the franchise tag, Flournoy has an opportunity to convince the Cowboys they already have a replacement ready for 2027. That potential should keep Flournoy hungry this season, even without much pressure beneath him. Check out our previous player profiles from this series: RB Israel Abanikanda C Cooper Beebe G Tyler Booker S Alijah Clark EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku TE Jake Ferguson C Matt Hennessy S Malik Hooker EDGE James Houston WR Jordan Hudson LB Shemar James G Trevor Keegan CB Derion Kendrick S P.J. Locke FB Hunter [... truncated ...]
One of the biggest surprises from a disappointing 2025 season was seeing second-year wide receiver Ryan Flournoy take on a bigger role in the Cowboys offense. Flournoy, a 2024 sixth-round pick out of Southeast Missouri, played in 11 games his rookie year as a role player, but stepped into a much bigger role last season as a key contributor. Flournoy was waived in August, but was thankfully not claimed by another team and signed back to the Cowboys practice squad. Flournoy was signed to the active roster on September 9th and immediately started making an impact on offense when called upon. With CeeDee Lamb , George Pickens , and Jake Ferguson getting a majority of the work from the Cowboys’ receivers, it was impressive to see Flournoy post two 100-yard receiving games throughout the season, and he really blossomed into the teams WR3 towards the end of the season, where he averaged 35 receiving yards and caught two touchdowns over the final five games of the 2025 regular season. In an offense that possesses two dynamic weapons, it sometimes hard for the role players to stand out, but Flournoy has impressed in limited opportunities, and he’s carrying over a hot end to the 2025 season with a hot start to the Cowboys 2026 OTA practices. It seems to be a common theme every offseason for a Cowboys receiver to really shine over the course of an entire offseason, but struggle to carry offseason success into the regular season. Being that we’ve already seen Flournoy have success in the NFL during the regular season, year three for Flournoy is already picking up some buzz from Cowboys’ beat writers and analysts around the NFL. With Jalen Tolbert now in Miami and KaVontae Turpin struggling as a receiver the last season or two, Ryan Flournoy is penciled in as the Cowboys WR3, and while some may be writing that in with a pencil, early indications say that should be written in with a permanent marker. How many yards and TDs do you think Flournoy will get in 2026?
The retirement of Parris Campbell opened a spot on the Cowboys' 90-man roster when he retired last week and the team filled it on Monday. They did so by replacing Campbell in the wide receiver room. They announced the signing of rookie free agent Romello Brinson. Brinson tried out for the Dolphins after being passed over in April, but did not sign with the team. He had 43 catches for 638 yards and three touchdowns in his final season at SMU. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens head up a Dallas receiver group that also includes Ryan Flournoy , Marquez Valdes-Scantling , KaVontae Turpin , Jonathan Mingo , Tyler Johnson, seventh-round pick Anthony Smith, and Brinson's former college teammate Jordan Hudson
The Cowboys have signed rookie free agent wide receiver Romello Brinson to fill the roster spot vacated by Parris Campbell's retirement. Brinson, who had a productive final season at SMU, will join a crowded Cowboys receiving corps
One of the position groups we have talked very little about this offseason has been the wide receiver position. Outside of some early offseason George Pickens contract drama, everyone expects CeeDee Lamb , George Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy to be the teams top three wide receivers. Behind those three, which is a very solid trio, things get a little more interesting. Kavontae Turpin was given more opportunities on offense over the last two seasons, but the results never showed up consistently. The Cowboys traded a 2025 fourth-round pick for Jonathan Mingo at the trade deadline during the 2024 season. Since his arrival, Mingo has caught six passes for 21 yards and zero touchdowns. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Tyler Johnson were both signed this offseason as veteran insurance at the receiver position. Valdes-Scantling and Johnson have both had multiple stops in the league, but with the future of George Pickens unclear, it was obvious the team wanted to have some veteran insurance heading into the season. The Cowboys have some young guys on the roster as well as their seventh-round draft pick, Anthony Smith, could fight for a roster spot. With 2025 training camp star Traeshon Holden also in the mix for a roster spot this offseason, the rookie draft pcik Smith will need to have a very strong training camp and preseason in order to find himself on the 53-man roster after cutdowns. All-in-all, the Cowboys have a lot of bodies on the roster as of today to fill five, possibly six roster spots. We have a very good idea that Lamb, Pickens, Flournoy, and Turpin feel like locks to make the Cowboys 53-man roster. That leaves one, possibly two jobs up for grabs. That final spot or two will likely lean on special teams impact a lot, which sets things up nicely for Holden and Smith to earn their way onto the team. With OTA’s starting up this week, we will get a glimpse into how this wide receiver room could look by the time September rolls around. Who do you have as the five or six players that will make up the Cowboys WR group?
Data comes from cached Sleeper and KTC snapshots. Values update when the sync jobs run.
