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 26, 6:40 PM

Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. tallied just 36 yards on 11 rushing attempts in the NFC title game. The Commanders played from behind throughout the game as the Eagles got out to an early lead. As a result, this put Robinson out of the game plan. However, when given the ball, the Alabama product was ineffective, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. Last weekend, Robinson tallied 77 yards and two scores on 15 carries in their upset victory over the Detroit Lions. After averaging a solid 64 rushing yards per game during his first 10 games, Robinson saw his production decline over the back half of the season. Over his final seven games of the 2024 season, Robinson eclipsed 60 rushing yards in just two games and scored just two touchdowns. Given his inconsistent production, the Commanders will likely address this position in the offseason.