Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or Rico Dowdle

Tuesday, September 9, 12:27 PM

Houston Texans running back Nick Chubb didn't exactly turn heads in the team's Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but he was the clear RB1 in Houston's backfield with Joe Mixon (ankle, foot) out. Chubb handled 62 percent of the running back carries on Sunday against the Rams and led the Texans in rushing attempts (13) and rushing yards (60). He wasn't able to haul in his lone target in the 14-9 loss. The 29-year-old four-time Pro Bowler may never be as dominant as he once was with the Cleveland Browns before he suffered a gruesome knee injury in 2023, but the opportunity is there for him to be the team's bell-cow back for a good portion of the 2025 season. Right now, he's currently rostered in only 68% of Yahoo leagues, so if you're in a pinch early on at the RB position, you should be looking at scooping Chubb off the waiver wire.

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.