Who Should I Start? Kareem Hunt or Rico Dowdle

Saturday, September 13, 4:49 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt will take on the Philadelphia Eagles at home this Sunday. Hunt received an identical workload to Isiah Pacheco and produced similar results. The veteran back was less efficient with his carries but picked up more receiving yards in his three opportunities. It is also important to note that Hunt appeared to be the preferred back on passing downs and short yardage situations. If this usage continues, Hunt could end up being the more fantasy-relevant player in this backfield. The Chiefs deployed Hunt in goal-line situations last season, and he was successful in that role, so it's possible that he retains that job. That said, the backfield usage was split 50/50, and it will be a difficult situation to deal with unless one player starts commanding more touches. Hunt will have to face a stout Eagles defense this week, so even if he gets more work, it could be hard to get anything going. Hunt is ranked RB48 in our RotoBaller rankings this week, making him a deeper league flex option. It might be best to wait and see how this backfield shakes out.

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.