The Carolina Panthers have signed free-agent running back Rico Dowdle on Wednesday. The two sides have agreed on a one-year, $6.25 million deal for the upcoming season. On paper, Dowdle is a good fit with the Panthers who certainly need depth behind Chuba Hubbard. Last season, Dowdle rushed for over 1,000 yards across 15 games with the Dallas Cowboys. It's also worth noting that Dowdle hauled in 39 receptions for 249 yards and three touchdowns through the air. This is a low-risk move that should help the Panthers while former second-round pick Jonathon Brooks (knee) recovers from injury.
Mar 12, 2025 7:36 PM EST
According to a person with knowledge of the Dallas Cowboys' thinking, the team signing former Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams in free agency means that RB Rico Dowdle won't return in 2025. Williams is regarded as a comparable talent to Dowdle and is more cost effective, according to the Dallas Morning News' David Moore. The Cowboys are committed to selecting a running back in April's draft as well, and they will likely compete with Williams for backfield touches in 2025. This news comes after executive Stephen Jones said at the end of last month that Dallas was hoping to re-sign Dowdle, who had his first 1,000-yard rushing season and two touchdowns on 235 rushing attempts as the team's lead back in 2024. Meanwhile, Williams averaged a mediocre 3.7 yards per carry and had 513 rushing yards and four touchdowns in Denver while losing the starting gig midway through the season.
Mar 10, 2025 9:10 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed 22 times for 72 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders. He also caught two of his three targets for an additional 12 yards through the air. Dowdle was quite impressive throughout the 2024 season, supplanting Ezekiel Elliott as the Cowboys' undisputed No. 1 running back. He finished the campaign with 1,079 rushing yards, 249 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns through 16 games, ranking as a low-end RB2 in fantasy football. There has been plenty of speculation that the Cowboys could take an aggressive approach with their pursuit of a running back this offseason, such as drafting Ashton Jeanty. However, there's also a real possibility they feel confident in Dowdle and don't take as big of a swing for a backfield addition within the upcoming months. The 26-year-old currently still has appeal as a mid-range RB3 option heading into the 2025 campaign, and until Dallas brings in competition, this backfield belongs to Dowdle.
Jan 5, 2025 9:23 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will look to top off his surprising breakout season in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders with a splash. The 26-year-old has rushed for over 100 yards in four of his last five games and now faces a solid matchup against Washington's 20th-ranked run defense. He will look to solidify his finish as an RB2 on the season. Dowdle is in RB1 territory heading into the season's finale and should be started in any leagues that run into Week 18.
Jan 4, 2025 9:52 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was one of the lone bright spots in the Week 17 blowout loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. The fifth-year running back carried the ball 23 times for 104 yards while catching his lone target for four yards. Dowdle also lost a fumble, his second of the year. The South Carolina product has come along nicely down the stretch for the Cowboys, rushing for over 100 yards in four of his last five outings.
Dec 29, 2024 9:40 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed for just 23 yards last week after a three-week stretch of 100+ yards on the ground. The 26-year-old out of South Carolina has generally performed better when facing easier matchups, and this week's matchup against Philadelphia's top-ranked defense against running backs is far from easy. Dowdle will see heavy volume per usual as the workhorse in Dallas' offense, but his production may not be as strong as it has in recent weeks due to the tough matchup. He is a low-end RB2 solely based on projected volume.
Dec 28, 2024 8:32 AM EST
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
Copyright 2025 Fantasy Football Calculator | Image Source: Icon Sportswire. Not affiliated with the National Football League (NFL).
Stats powered by FantasyData.com.
