Should I Start Rico Dowdle?

Sunday, September 13, 3:57 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle rushed for just 15 yards on eight carries during Sunday's Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons. He also caught two of his five targets for an additonal six receiving yards. Between carries and targets, Dowdle had 13 opportunities, which is still a somewhat reasonable result. The biggest issue was that he was wildly efficient on the ground and through the air, averaging 1.9 yards per carry and 3.0 yards per catch. Enerting the season, it seemed like Dowdle was going to split the volume from this backfield with Jaylen Warren, but the latter ended up leading the way on Sunday. For now, we're inclined to believe we'll see similar backfield dynamics next week and beyond. Warren has earned the right to touch the ball 15+ times per game as a top-25 fantasy running back while Dowdle is still in more of the low-end RB3/flex tier for now.