Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed for just 23 yards on 13 carries during Sunday's Week 16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also caught each of his three targets for an additional 28 yards through the air. Although Dowdle's pass-catching work was solid, his inefficiency on the ground counteracted some of the production he delivered through the air. Even in PPR leagues, this was Dowdle's worst fantasy outing since he took over as the Cowboys' No. 1 running back over veteran Ezekiel Elliott. The 26-year-old gets another tough matchup next week against the Philadelphia Eagles, who held Brian Robinson Jr. to just 24 rushing yards and two fumbles on Sunday.
Dec 23, 2024 1:13 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will be facing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense on Sunday Night Football in Week 16 that has allowed the fewest half-PPR points to opposing RBs in the last five weeks, which includes just one rushing touchdown given up. However, because of the high volume that Dowdle has been seeing of late as Dallas' clear-cut No. 1 RB, he'll carry high-end RB2 value for fantasy managers still alive in the playoffs. The 26-year-old is coming off a a career-best 149 rushing yards on 25 carries in last week's win over the Carolina Panthers after setting a previous career-best with 131 rushing yards the week prior. In the last four games, Dowdle has really been eating, seeing at least 18 carries per game and averaging 5.69 yards per attempt with a touchdown. Fantasy managers may not want to expect another career performance on Sunday night, but Dowdle is certainly trending up.
Dec 21, 2024 12:03 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle has now run for a career-high amount of rushing yards in three straight weeks. The 26-year-old is enjoying a breakout in his fifth NFL season, his first with an extended role. Dowdle rushed 25 times for 149 yards in the Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers, taking advantage of a strong rushing matchup. He did not record a target in the dominant victory. Dowdle and the Cowboys will be back in action next Sunday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a tougher matchup on the ground than the previous few.
Dec 15, 2024 9:56 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (knee) fully practiced all week but was on the injury report as a full participant. He will enter Week 15's matchup with the Carolina Panthers with no injury designation. Carolina has allowed the most points to the running back position this season, making Dowdle an RB1 option coming off of back-to-back 100-yard rushing performances. Fantasy managers should not hesitate to plug him into lineups this week.
Dec 14, 2024 8:21 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was a bright spot on Monday night in the 27-20 loss to Cincinnati. Dowdle carried the ball 18 times for a career-high 131 yards while also catching a pass for 10 yards. Despite running behind a makeshift offensive line, Dowdle shined for the Cowboys. The 26-year-old has now rushed for 731 yards on the year. He projects as a high-end RB2 the rest of the season and is an automatic start in Week 15 against Carolina.
Dec 10, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle finished last week in RB1 range, and a similar outcome is possible on Monday night as Dallas takes on the Cincinnati Bengals. Dowdle has completely taken over the backfield and even with key offensive linemen out, has managed to produce. While Cincinnati's run defense is not quite as weak as their pass defense, it is still a favorable matchup in a game where many points are anticipated to be scored. Fresh off of his first career 100-yard rushing performance, Dowdle should be in lineups this week.
Dec 7, 2024 3:36 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle posted his first-ever 100-yard rushing game in the 27-20 division win on Thanksgiving. The 26-year-old finished with 112 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries with three receptions for 11 yards on three targets. Dowdle's top six rushing outputs have all come this season now that he's seeing a higher snap share. In fact, this game against the Giants was his second-highest snap share of the year with 70%. Dowdle should continue to be one of the fantasy bright spots in this offense for the rest of the year and will look to keep the momentum rolling against the Bengals in Week 14.
Nov 29, 2024 9:27 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will look to deliver flex value in fantasy in Week 13. The Cowboys will host the New York Giants in a Thanksgiving Day tilt. The Giants have been much better against the pass than the run in 2024 and the Cowboys may look to exploit that weakness. Dowdle has come alive as the Cowboys' feature back in recent weeks. His production is not anything spectacular, but he is certainly worthy of a flex spot if you are dealing with injuries. Dowdle has scored double-digit PPR fantasy points in five of his seven games played. He is very involved in the passing game which will help offset any lack of rushing output in Dallas' middling offense. Dowdle also has a chance to find the end zone for the first time on the ground this season. With New York's offense not faring much better than Dallas' over the last few weeks, the Cowboys should be in a neutral to positive game script all day. You do not need to force Dowdle into your lineup this week, but he should provide a solid fantasy floor as he has for most of the season since he took over as the starting running back.
Nov 27, 2024 6:38 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle paced the team in rushing on Sunday in the 34-26 victory over Washington. Dowdle carried the ball 19 times for 86 yards, accounting for 94% of the team's rushing yards. He was targeted three times, catching all three for 12 yards. The Cowboys' lead back will remain in RB2 territory heading into Thursday's Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants.
Nov 24, 2024 8:43 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle is one of the lone healthy players on the offense heading into Week 13. Despite Dallas' struggles running the ball behind a young offensive line, Dowdle grades as a flex option this week against a Washington defense that surrenders the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. Dowdle could see even more touches than usual if star receiver CeeDee Lamb (back, foot) misses Sunday's tilt, making him a high-end flex option. His ceiling is limited due to Dallas' offensive struggles, but Dowdle should be started in most formats with loads of byes across the league.
Nov 22, 2024 1:10 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. He also caught two of his five targets for an additional six receiving yards. Even as quarterback Cooper Rush racked up production in garbage time, the Cowboys' starting running back was not able to get very involved. Between his subpar volume and reduced efficiency, Dowdle will drop to the low-end RB3 tier next week against Washington.
Nov 19, 2024 12:30 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle grades as a high-end RB3 heading into Monday night's matchup with the Houston Texans. Mike McCarthy stated earlier this week that there is no more committee in Dallas, although that has become increasingly evident over the past month with Dowdle's usage ramping up. With guaranteed volume he is startable, but his ceiling remains limited due to the downturn of the Cowboys' offense without quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring). Dowdle is a volume-based play in Week 11 against a Houston defense that ranks seventh against opposing running backs.
Nov 15, 2024 10:43 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy gave running back Rico Dowdle a ringing endorsement on Thursday, saying, "He's the lead back. Rico needs to touch the ball." Fellow backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott returned from a one-game absence for disciplinary reasons in the Week 10 blowout loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, with Dowdle seeing 12 carries for 53 yards and catching all three of his targets for three yards. The 26-year-old likely would have had a much better day had the Cowboys not fallen behind by a significant margin on the scoreboard. Zeke had six carries for 22 yards and lost a fumble. Dowdle played 52% of the offensive snaps compared to Elliott's 22%. Dowdle will continue to be Dallas' lead RB, but with quarterback Dak Prescott (shoulder) now done for the year, it makes Dowdle a lower-upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers.
Nov 14, 2024 1:04 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was the clear-cut lead back on Sunday in what was an abysmal offensive showing. Dowdle carried the ball 12 times for 53 yards and caught all three targets for just three yards. He ripped off a 19-yard run, good for the longest Dallas offensive play of the game. Dowdle appears entrenched as the top running back in the offense, although his value has taken a clear hit without quarterback Dak Prescott. He should be a matchup-dependent flex option moving forward.
Nov 11, 2024 12:41 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle has captured the lead role in the backfield over the past few weeks, but the offense may lose some efficiency with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) set to miss at least the next four games. Dowdle should see significant volume coming off of an RB1 finish a week ago, but the matchup against Philadelphia's third-ranked run defense is far from ideal. He can be considered a flex option with a fairly lower floor than usual this week.
Nov 8, 2024 10:49 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was productive in the 27-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The 26-year-old saw most of the running back work with Ezekiel Elliott (healthy scratch) missing the game due to disciplinary reasons. Dowdle rushed 12 times for 75 yards while also securing five receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown on an impressive grab in the endzone. Dowdle appears to remain set as the lead back in Dallas and is an RB2 moving forward.
Nov 4, 2024 9:14 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle missed last Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers with an illness, but he's off the injury report and expected to play in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons. Dowdle is a likely candidate to lead Dallas' backfield in production. After all, he led the Cowboys' running back room in snaps four times over the five-game span from Week 2 through 6. However, it's worth noting that he was out-snapped and out-produced by Ezekiel Elliott during their last game together in Week 6. Presumably, Dowdle will get first dibs on carrying the ball versus Atlanta, but Dallas won't shy away from riding the hot hand, especially if Elliott or Dalvin Cook play well in the opening quarter. Fantasy managers should treat Dowdle as a low-end RB3 with a low floor and low ceiling.
Nov 1, 2024 12:12 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (illness) won't play in Sunday night's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. The 26-year-old was under the weather when he arrived to the stadium. However, after an examination by team medical staff, Dowdle will sit this one out. He entered Week 8 with 246 yards off 59 carries and 16 receptions for 131 yards and two touchdowns, so he was considered a flex option by some. But now the team will turn to Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott, although they haven't done enough to instill confidence in fantasy managers.
Oct 27, 2024 6:53 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (illness) is questionable for Sunday night's matchup with the 49ers. He arrived to the arena with an illness, which would explain his late addition to the injury report. The 26-year-old has only 246 yards off 59 carries, adding 16 catches for 131 yards and two touchdowns this season. While he's not the most productive, his upside has earned him at least flex consideration in fantasy lineups. With that said, if Dowdle is sidelined, Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook will presumably split carries, although they are tough to trust.
Oct 27, 2024 6:07 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle is in flex consideration heading into Week 8's Sunday night matchup against San Francisco. The fifth-year back saw a season-low five rush attempts in his last outing against Detroit, but made up for it with five receptions due to game script. San Francisco has been middle-of-the-road against opposing running backs this season, but Dallas has hesitated to lean into their run game. Dowdle should see enough of a workload to warrant flex usability, but is more of an RB3 option this week.
Oct 25, 2024 10:32 AM EST