Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Bijan Robinson

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.

Monday, September 15, 10:17 AM

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson dominated the Minnesota Vikings defense in Week 2, rushing for 143 yards on 22 carries in his team's 22-6 victory. Robinson also added three catches for 25 yards on five targets. If there was a negative from Robinson's performance, it was that Falcons RB2 Tyler Allgeier scored the game's only touchdown in a goal-to-go situation. Still, Robinson has now logged 292 yards from scrimmage over the first two games of the season on 43 total touches. He's a must-start fantasy running back with overall RB1 upside.