Who Should I Start? Raheem Mostert or Rico Dowdle

Sunday, January 4, 4:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) is officially inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs. He had been listed as questionable after practicing in a limited capacity on Friday. Mostert finishes the season having missed two consecutive games. In his absence, Zamir White and Dylan Laube should earn more snaps as the No. 2 running back behind Ashton Jeanty. This game is meaningless for both the Raiders, who have already secured the No. 1 pick in the draft, and the Chiefs, who were previously eliminated from playoff contention. We could see this Kenny Pickett-led offense get creative with personnel on Sunday, but Jeanty is the only Vegas running back who can be started with confidence in fantasy football.

Friday, January 30, 12:35 PM

ESPN's David Newton writes that unless Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle wants to "return at a bargain price," he "appears headed to this third team in three seasons." General manager Dan Morgan said he had a good meeting with Dowdle after the season, but Dowdle was unhappy with the way the year ended -- he had seven carries for 10 yards in the Week 18 regular-season finale and only five carries for nine yards in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 27-year-old has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and was Carolina's leading rusher (1,076 yards), but he'd likely be in a committee backfield again with Chuba Hubbard if he were to re-sign. Hubbard is locked in through the 2028 campaign on a four-year, $33.2 million deal he signed in 2024. "I just want to be a guy who can go out there and just get the bulk [of the carries]," Dowdle said.