2 underused Cowboys who need more touches vs 49ers (and 1 who should be benched)

2. Brandin Cooks needs more targets

Cowboys fans have waited patiently for a Brandin Cooks game. It's not a great excuse, but they haven't exactly needed to take the top of of defenses. The loss to Arizona warranted more deep shots, but Dak Prescott didn't have the time for a seven-step drop with Dallas down three starters on the offensive line.

The Cowboys won their other three games in blowout fashion.

Even though he hasn't made the impact fans had hoped for, Cooks' mere presence has paid dividends for Michael Gallup, who attributed his last two blow-up games to the veteran's savyness and ability to attract defenders.

It's time to stop using Cooks as a decoy. Eight catches for 66 yards in three games isn't enough volume for a player of his caliber. Again, he hasn't really been needed, but five of his eight catches have produced first downs. He's coming up clutch for Prescott and the offense and has been close to scoring in the red zone on more than one occasion.

Cooks and Dak connected on myriad deep shots in training camp. With the Cowboys returning to California on Sunday night, it feels like the perfect time for Mike McCarthy to dial up more looks for the speedy wideout.