Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Chase Brown

Thursday, September 5, 4:00 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle may be the best running back on the Cowboys roster, but he's still a very risky play in fantasy lineups in Week 1. While Dowdle could and likely will end up being the top fantasy running back in Dallas by the end of the season, it may take a few weeks for him to build up steam and work his way into a full starting role. With veterans Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook in the way for now, Dowdle will be little more than a flex play with slight upside against the Browns in Week 1.

Friday, September 6, 9:41 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown ran for 179 yards off 44 carries in his rookie season, adding 14 grabs for 156 yards and a touchdown. With Joe Mixon now in Houston, many anticipate the 24-year-old will be more involved than ever. Granted, Cincinnati signed Zack Moss to a two-year deal this offseason, so he'll also be on the field. However, there's a good chance both players will split carries equally out of the backfield throughout the 2024-25 campaign. With that in mind, the Bengals will begin the year with a Week 1 matchup versus the New England Patriots. But Ja'Marr Chase (not injury-related) and Tee Higgins (hamstring) may not suit up. If that's the case, Brown deserves flex consideration in every fantasy format, considering he may see more carries and targets from Joe Burrow.