Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Saturday, August 9, 4:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle showed a glimpse of his potential as a pass-catching threat in the team's preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns, recording one reception for 20 yards to go along with two rushes for seven yards. The 27-year-old running back is entering his sixth season in the NFL after spending his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, which was riddled with injuries. Dowdle is clearly behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but could carve out a role in the Panthers' receiving or two-minute offense in 2025. Coming off an underwhelming 2024 season in Dallas, where high hopes for the lead back role didn't materialize (235-1,079-2 on the ground, 39-249-3 in the air), a move to a new location and a backup role could take some pressure off Dowdle and allow him to grow into his potential. Rotoballer currently projects him as RB55, but Dowdle could be a sneaky stash if anything happens to Hubbard throughout the season.

Saturday, August 23, 11:19 PM

Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 34 yards on five carries in the final preseason game against the Ravens. Rodriguez started the game and consistently picked up big chunks of yards. The 24-year-old finished the preseason averaging nearly seven yards per carry, with 17 rushes for 118 yards. Rodriguez fits the role of a hammer and short-yardage back that can get the tough yards, but also had gaudy production in the SEC at Kentucky. He averaged over 100 rushing yards per game in both of his last two seasons. Additionally, he's showing improved burst and explosiveness in camp this year, saying that he's already hit 20 MPH more times this year than all of last year, according to Hayley Salvatore of Commanders.com. Brian Robinson is now officially dealt to San Francisco, and Rodriguez is set to be in the mix for early down touches in the Washington backfield. Touchdowns will be the path to fantasy value for Rodriguez in what could be a murky backfield.