Who Should I Start? Ezekiel Elliott or Rico Dowdle

Monday, October 14, 10:49 AM

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott saw eight carries in the blowout loss to Detroit. Elliott only gained 17 yards, rushing at an abysmal 2.1 yards per carry against the tough Lions' front. He saw no passing game usage, severely limiting both his fantasy floor and ceiling. Elliott was severely outplayed by Rico Dowdle, who gained 5.0 yards per carry and also saw receiving usage. The 29-year-old is not a usable fantasy option and can safely be dropped in all formats heading into Dallas' bye week.

Tuesday, October 15, 1:17 AM

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expressed the need for running back Rico Dowdle to get more opportunities, stating, "He definitely needs to touch the ball more, without a doubt." Dowdle had only five carries for 25 yards rushing in Dallas's loss to the Lions. With the team falling behind early, he was more active in the passing game, catching five passes for 30 yards. In contrast, Ezekiel Elliott managed just 17 yards on six carries against Detriot, marking his fourth straight game with six or fewer rushes and failing to reach 20 yards each time. It will be interesting to see if McCarthy follows through on his promise to increase Dowdle's touches, as he appears to be the more explosive option. The Cowboys are on bye this week and will return in Week 8 to face San Francisco on Sunday Night Football.