Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Frank Gore Jr.

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.

Monday, October 14, 6:10 PM

The Buffalo Bills elevated rookie running back Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad to the 53-man active roster for Monday night's divisional showdown against the New York Jets. This could be a sign that James Cook (toe), who was listed as questionable to play in Week 6, may not be available to play on Monday night. But the Bills could also be electing for extra backfield depth behind Cook, Ty Johnson and rookie Ray Davis. Fantasy managers should know Cook's official status for Monday's primetime contest in another hour. The 22-year-old Gore hasn't played at all through the first five weeks of his rookie season in the NFL after going undrafted out of Southern Miss. At best, Gore could see some short-yardage work for Buffalo whenever he makes his NFL debut, but he can be ignored in all single-year fantasy formats for the time being.