The Athletic’s Jon Machota believes Malik Davis will start the season as the Cowboys’ RB2.

23 August 2026

Davis got the start in Saturday’s preseason game against the Cardinals, rushing five times for 29 yards while adding one catch for eight yards and a touchdown. The 27-year-old back has gained steam in recent weeks as the favorite to win the Cowboys’ RB2 job out of camp, but Machota also said he believes “Jaydon Blue takes (the RB2 job) during the season.” Blue rushed 15 times for a team-high 75 yards in Saturday’s win over the Cardinals, ripping off multiple chunk gains on the day. While we still have one preseason game left to go, it sounds like fantasy managers looking for the handcuff to Javonte Williams should target Davis in the late/final rounds of drafts at this point.