Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Bucky Irving

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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

Is Rico Dowdle a Player to Target in the Middle Rounds of 2026 Drafts?

Tuesday, June 23, 5:37 AM

Veteran running back Rico Dowdle has topped 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons, playing for two different teams, and he looks to keep that streak alive after signing a two-year, $12.3 million deal this offseason to join the Pittsburgh Steelers. In Dallas, Dowdle shared the backfield with three-time Pro Bowler Ezekiel Elliott, while last year in Carolina, he joined a room with Chuba Hubbard, who was fresh off an RB15 finish and a four-year contract extension. While he was able to ultimately wrestle primary duties from both, Elliott was well past his prime, while Hubbard spent much of the year slowed by a calf injury. In Pittsburgh, even as he reunites with former head coach Mike McCarthy, Dowdle could face notably stiffer competition for playing time from jack-of-all-trades Jaylen Warren, who himself finished as the RB16 in 2025 while splitting work with one of the league's most proficient pass catchers, Kenneth Gainwell. However, in an Aaron Rodgers-led offense unlikely to push the ball downfield, both backs are likely to see heavy involvement, and with neither currently being drafted inside the top 30 of the position, both stand a strong chance to outperform ADP. Dowdle is RotoBaller's RB33 for 2026, but with multiple paths to fantasy relevance, he could prove to be one of the year's better mid-round values.

Bucky Irving - Tampa Bay (RB)

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Week 1 Projections

Fant. Pts.	Rush. Yds.	Rush TD	Rec.	Rec. Yds.	Rec TD
12.7	56.8	0.3	2.3	19.1	0.1

Bucky Irving News

Can Bucky Irving Return to His Rookie Season Form?

Sunday, July 5, 6:04 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving has become one of the most divisive players in 2026 drafts. After a breakout rookie season in 2024 saw him rack up almost 1,600 yards on his way to an RB14 finish, foot and shoulder injuries, as well as reported off-field struggles, limited him to only 10 games in 2025. Returning to action in Week 13 after an eight-week absence, Irving looked like a shell of himself, unable to top four yards per carry in any of his final six games. On the season, his 3.4-yard-per-carry average was down a full two yards from his rookie season, and while he was able to provide 6.1 half-PPR points per game strictly through the passing game, more than 67% of that production came in the first four weeks of the season. Following offseason shoulder surgery, the bull case for Irving is that he can return to the efficiency of his rookie season and the start of 2025, when he was the RB10 through the first four weeks. His detractors will point to the two-year, $14 million deal given to Kenneth Gainwell as evidence that Irving's fantasy-friendly usage in the passing game is set to take a meaningful hit. Those conflicting opinions have him coming off the board around RB24 by current ADP, providing his believers the opportunity to snag him at a discount in hopes of what could be a league-winning bounceback season.

Rico Dowdle vs. Bucky Irving

Still trying to decide between Dowdle and Irving? 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 Bucky Irving is projected to score 12.7 points.