Pre-season has exposed a couple weaknesses that may stand between the Cowboys and the Super Bowl, but for strict fantasy purposes, this team is as good as gold.

The first issue confronting Dallas is the same as one that dogged them for much of last season, kickoff and punt-return coverage. The Cowboys are poor at this aspect of the game, plain and simple, and with the loss of a few key veterans, like special teams ace Keith Davis, there doesn’t seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel.

The other concern for the Cowboys is the defense. This unit is loaded with talent, but they are far from dominant. Perhaps it’s because Terence Newman hasn’t played in the pre-season, but the only defensive player that has caught my eye is Zach Thomas. Thomas has been all over the field, making plays and re-establishing himself as one of the NFL’s best linebackers. Thomas also adds a great deal of experience and professionalism to the defense, so if this unit is going to excel this year, he’ll be a big reason why.

Outside of that, this team is ready to contribute to a great deal of fantasy success this season. Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Jason Witten, Terrell Owens and Nick Folk have all continued to look like the studs that took the field last year. Add in rookie Felix Jones, and the Cowboys have gotten even more dangerous on offense.

QB: The only question that remained for QB Tony Romo is if he could stay healthy and consistently produce over an extended period of time. Well, a lot of time has passed since Romo took over this team a season and a half ago, and he has been mostly injury free while producing at an incredible level. Romo can now reach that upper-echelon, along with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and with youth on his side, he may even surpass them.

RB: RB Marion Barber continues to run hard and make plays, so the more interesting subject of the Dallas offensive backfield is rookie RB Felix Jones. Jones has looked great, and it seems as though he’ll be an immediate contributor. The Cowboys have even nixed plans to have Jones return kicks because they believe he’ll be vitally important to the first-string offense. So how will Jones’ presence affect Barber’s numbers? The answer is, probably not too much at all. Although Jones is ready to make an immediate impact, he’ll probably do much of it as a receiver. Jones will still get some carries here and there, but with Barber’s hard-nosed running style, Jones’ carries should only help Barber produce for an entire season.

WR: Much like with Barber, there aren’t many questions surrounding WR Terrell Owens. Owens continues to shine and he seems to relish his new role as a team leader. The real mystery is at the No. 2 receiver spot, where WR Patrick Crayton has looked solid. Crayton continues to make plays and he seems to have Romo’s confidence. Add in the fact that the Cowboys didn’t really do anything to bring in new talent at the position, and the path is clear for Crayton to have a very productive season.

TE: Dallas’ biggest fantasy stud of them all may just be TE Jason Witten. But, although Witten is coming off one of the best seasons for a tight end in NFL history, he doesn’t have a great track record of getting into the end zone. So, Witten has earned his title as fantasy’s best tight end, but he needs to score touchdowns on a regular basis to keep it.

K: PK Nick Folk should be due for a real letdown, a sophomore slump, but unless he freaks out between now and the regular season, it just doesn’t seem to be the case. Many consider Folk the top fantasy kicker out there, so it will be interesting to see if this young player can live up to they hype.

DEF: The Dallas defense is worthy of being anyone’s starting defensive unit, but they have some work to do to be considered elite. The talent is there, and they are just in the second year of Wade Phillips’ defensive scheme, so it’s very possible they emerge as one of the best. But right now, they are just good.

It’s almost amazing how much the Cowboys bring to the fantasy table this year. It wouldn’t be too surprising for any team with this much hype to be a disappointment, but all the pieces are in place for a special season.