Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Brashard Smith
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Rico Dowdle News
Friday, May 8, 12:46 PM
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle began the 2025 season as the RB2 for the Carolina Panthers behind Chuba Hubbard. However, an early-season injury to Hubbard opened the door for Dowdle, and he finished the year with 1,373 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 275 touches across 17 games for Carolina. The Steelers rewarded Dowdle with a two-year, $12.25 million contract in free agency, and he now forms a two-headed backfield monster in Pittsburgh with veteran back Jaylen Warren. Warren's presence in Pittsburgh likely caps Dowdle's production ceiling, particularly in the passing game. Still, Dowdle should be the team's primary early-down and goal-line rusher, a role he's proven he can excel in in recent years. In dynasty formats, Dowdle profiles as a solid flex option with some upside heading into 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Brashard Smith News
Monday, April 27, 9:19 AM
A seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Kansas City Chiefs running back Brashard Smith earned some preseason buzz as a potential sleeper candidate to take over his team's backfield. However, despite the Chiefs getting middling production from the veteran tandem of Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco for much of the year, Smith was never able to carve out a consistent role. He finished the season with 323 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 69 touches, with 14 of those touches coming in a meaningless Week 18 game. Kansas City overhauled its backfield over the offseason, signing running backs Kenneth Walker III and Emari Demercado in free agency, and using a fifth-round pick on Nebraska back Emmett Johnson in the 2026 Draft. Walker III should dominate touches when healthy, leaving Smith in a three-way fight for the primary backup role. While Smith's receiving ability helps his chances, his pathway to regular playing time with the Chiefs looks significantly more challenging heading into 2026 than it did in 2025.
Rico Dowdle vs. Brashard Smith
Still trying to decide between Dowdle and Smith? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Rico Dowdle is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Brashard Smith is projected to score 0.0 points.
Latest Fantasy News
