Who Should I Start? Miles Sanders or Rico Dowdle

Sunday, October 5, 12:04 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders (ankle, knee) is officially inactive for the Week 5 game on the road against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Sanders came into this game listed as questionable despite not being able to practice all week. With the 28-year-old out of action for the first time this season, rookie Jaydon Blue will suit up for his NFL debut as the backup behind starter Javonte Williams. Although the fifth-round rookie might be eased into the offense in his first regular-season game, Blue is worth stashing in deeper leagues for his upside the rest of the season. It's unclear if Sanders will be able to return in Week 6 against the Carolina Panthers. In addition to Blue, Hunter Luepke could have a bigger role in Dallas' backfield on Sunday behind Williams.

Monday, October 6, 3:07 PM

With Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) viewed as day-to-day with the calf injury that kept him out of Sunday's win against the Dolphins, and Rico Dowdle coming off the first 200-yard game of his career, the Panthers' backfield situation is suddenly looking cloudy for fantasy managers. In speaking with reporters on Monday, head coach Dave Canales said the team has two good running backs and that, "It's a good problem to have." There were some fears that the 73% running back rush share that made Hubbard a fantasy darling in 2024 would be unsustainable, especially after the team signed Dowdle in free agency. Prior to Hubbard's injury, Dowdle had seen a steadily increasing involvement in Canales' offense. As long as Hubbard is out, Dowdle can be started with confidence, but fantasy managers who can afford to do so should take a longer-term approach to seeing how carries are divvied up when both backs are healthy.