Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Brian Robinson Jr.

Sunday, January 5, 9:23 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed 22 times for 72 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Washington Commanders. He also caught two of his three targets for an additional 12 yards through the air. Dowdle was quite impressive throughout the 2024 season, supplanting Ezekiel Elliott as the Cowboys' undisputed No. 1 running back. He finished the campaign with 1,079 rushing yards, 249 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns through 16 games, ranking as a low-end RB2 in fantasy football. There has been plenty of speculation that the Cowboys could take an aggressive approach with their pursuit of a running back this offseason, such as drafting Ashton Jeanty. However, there's also a real possibility they feel confident in Dowdle and don't take as big of a swing for a backfield addition within the upcoming months. The 26-year-old currently still has appeal as a mid-range RB3 option heading into the 2025 campaign, and until Dallas brings in competition, this backfield belongs to Dowdle.

Sunday, January 5, 4:21 PM

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. ran the ball just five times for ten yards during their victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Robinson brought in his lone target for six yards. With Austin Ekeler back in action, Robinson saw his workload decrease. This matched his previous lowest rushing attempt total of the campaign. With the Commanders trailing throughout the game, Robinson was unable to find much rhythm in a negative game script. Entering this game, Robinson was carrying a three-game touchdown drought. During this stretch, he averaged just 49.7 rushing yards per game. During his first ten games of the season, he tallied eight touchdowns with 64.0 yards per game. Given his current struggles, fantasy managers should view Robinson as a low-end RB2 heading into the postseason.