Who Should I Start? Justice Hill or Rico Dowdle

Monday, September 8, 12:43 PM

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill handled two carries for a loss of 14 yards and corralled 1-of-2 targets for an additional three yards in his team's 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. The 27-year-old combined with backfield mate Rasheen Ali for a total of five opportunities as incumbent starter Derrick Henry took a majority of the backfield work -- and ran wild -- against the Bills. Hill did gain a yard on the ground, but lost 15 on an awkward exchange with Lamar Jackson in which he fumbled and the ball bounced backward. While the seventh-year pro carried some low-end PPR value in 2024, it was spotty at best and wildly unpredictable. He may see such efforts again in a more pass-friendly game plan, but his floor is volatile for the time being. Baltimore will host the Cleveland Browns next Sunday.

Saturday, August 9, 4:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle showed a glimpse of his potential as a pass-catching threat in the team's preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns, recording one reception for 20 yards to go along with two rushes for seven yards. The 27-year-old running back is entering his sixth season in the NFL after spending his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, which was riddled with injuries. Dowdle is clearly behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but could carve out a role in the Panthers' receiving or two-minute offense in 2025. Coming off an underwhelming 2024 season in Dallas, where high hopes for the lead back role didn't materialize (235-1,079-2 on the ground, 39-249-3 in the air), a move to a new location and a backup role could take some pressure off Dowdle and allow him to grow into his potential. Rotoballer currently projects him as RB55, but Dowdle could be a sneaky stash if anything happens to Hubbard throughout the season.