Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Chase Brown

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.

Saturday, January 4, 6:37 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (ankle) has been ruled out for the Week 18 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The plan was for Brown to workout pre-game and attempt to suit up for this contest. The Bengals have decided to play it safe and hold out Brown for the regular season finale. The 24-year-old suffered an ankle injury last week and is still feeling sore coming into Saturday's game. Khalil Herbert figures to see a bulk of the carries with Brown unable to play. Herbert is worth a look as a cheap DFS option for this weekend's slate.