Who Should I Start? Miles Sanders or Rico Dowdle

Wednesday, September 3, 10:23 AM

Dallas Cowboys running back Miles Sanders is set to make his debut in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles. After a disappointing 2024 campaign in Carolina, where he lost the starting job to Chuba Hubbard, Sanders is looking for a fresh start in Dallas. In Cowboys camp, Sanders has been splitting first-team reps with Javonte Williams, though Williams is expected to open the season as the starter. With Sanders expected to be the team's RB2, it makes it very difficult to trust starting him in fantasy lineups this week. Sanders also faces the league's toughest defense vs running backs in 2024, making his path to fantasy production nearly impossible in Week 1.

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.