Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Brian Robinson Jr.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7 | 48.6 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 14.5 | 0.1 |
Rico Dowdle News
Wednesday, July 15, 10:20 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle is entering his first season in Pittsburgh after signing a two-year contract worth over $12 million in free agency. With the Steelers, Dowdle appears likely to operate as part of a split backfield with incumbent running back Jaylen Warren. While Warren logged 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns for the Steelers last year, Pittsburgh has a new coaching staff in place for the 2026 season. Dowdle has proven himself to be a capable three-down back in recent years, recording 1,328 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and 1,373 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers in 2025. While Warren may handle most of the receiving work for Pittsburgh, Dowdle profiles as the better rusher between the tackles and at the goal line. Even while splitting touches with Panthers back Chuba Hubbard in 2025, Dowdle finished as the RB23 in per-game PPR scoring. At his current redraft ADP of RB32, Dowdle profiles as a value selection for fantasy managers.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 | 29.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 4.3 | 0.0 |
Brian Robinson Jr. News
Thursday, July 23, 6:26 AM
Atlanta Falcons running back Brian Robinson Jr. failed to reach 100 carries for the first time in his career in his lone season with the 49ers in 2025. With injuries hitting the team hard, four-time All-Pro Christian McCaffrey was one of the few players to stay healthy wire-to-wire, limiting Robinson's opportunities in what has long been viewed as one of fantasy's most valuable insurance roles. In signing a one-year deal with the Falcons, Robinson again finds himself as a high-value handcuff, this time to two-time Pro Bowler Bijan Robinson, who has not missed a start through his first three seasons in the league. While the incumbent Robinson has seen heavier usage year after year, there has still been enough remaining opportunity for his primary backup to see some standalone fantasy value, with Tyler Allgeier averaging 117.9 fantasy points across their three seasons together. A new coaching staff in Atlanta could ultimately prove to make any past workload splits moot, but as RotoBaller's RB46, Robinson Jr. is projected to have some flex appeal in 2026 with obvious week-winning upside should an unfortunate injury force him to take on a larger role.
Rico Dowdle vs. Brian Robinson Jr.
Still trying to decide between Dowdle and Robinson Jr.? 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 10.7 points this week while Brian Robinson Jr. is projected to score 5.5 points.
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