Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Rico Dowdle

Sunday, August 24, 1:11 AM

Los Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz noted via the broadcast of the team's preseason finale with the San Francisco 49ers that he's hopeful running back Najee Harris (eye) will be ready to go for Week 1. "Najee's doing great, going through all the medical processes," said Hortiz. "But he's on track, and I think he should be able to go, hopefully in Week 1." This is an interesting development, as LA has primarily taken a vow of silence this summer regarding Harris and the resulting eye injury from his fireworks mishap. The Alabama product returned to the field after the July 4 incident just two weeks ago and has only worked off to the side with trainers. If Harris does suit up for Week 1, it's unclear in what capacity that will be, as the actual severity of his injury is unknown. With backfield mate Omarion Hampton's ADP skyrocketing, fantasy managers may want to exercise caution in drafting the rookie at his elevated draft price, particularly with the veteran potentially on the brink of returning. It's a situation that bears monitoring over the next 11 days or so.

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.