Who Should I Start? Miles Sanders or Rico Dowdle

Tuesday, July 29, 8:58 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders "has consistently stood out the most" in both the running and passing game in training camp, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. After back-to-back subpar seasons with the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys took a low-risk flier on Sanders in free agency, adding him on a one-year deal. The team also signed former Denver Bronco Javonte Williams to a one-year contract and used a fifth-round pick on Jaydon Blue. Sanders looks like the leading candidate to receive the most carries, though, and he's only a couple of years removed from a 1,200-yard, 11-touchdown showing in 2022 with the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Tuesday, July 1, 9:24 PM

The Charlotte Observer's Alex Zietlow writes that Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle will split carries with rookie Trevor Etienne as the backups to lead back Chuba Hubbard in 2025. Dowdle is coming of a 1,000-yard season with the Dallas Cowboys in his first year as a lead back, but he'll be working behind Hubbard. As the RB2 last year in Carolina, Miles Sanders only had 55 carries, although he was mostly injured and ineffective. Zietlow adds that the Panthers will want to find out what they have in Etienne before Jonathon Brooks (knee) returns in 2026. If anything, the 27-year-old Dowdle will take away valuable pass-catching opportunities from Hubbard on third downs in his first year in Carolina, but it's going to be hard to justify him as an every-week fantasy starter as long as Hubbard stays healthy. Dowdle is ranked as RotoBaller's RB50 going into the 2025 season.