Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Isaac Guerendo

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.

Tuesday, August 19, 5:15 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo (shoulder) returned to training camp practice on Tuesday and was pretty active, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. Guerendo will have more opportunities for reps with both Patrick Taylor Jr. (shoulder) and Corey Kiner (ankle) both injured. The 25-year-old missed a couple of weeks at camp with a shoulder injury but is now back in time to be ready for the Week 1 regular-season opener in two weeks. It remains to be seen if the Niners will play him in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. Guerendo, a fourth-rounder last year, had a healthy 5.0 yards per carry and 420 rushing yards on 84 carries in 16 games (three starts) in his first season in the NFL. He's primarily a handcuff option for the injury-prone Christian McCaffrey, but if CMC misses more time with injury, Guerendo would be an every-week fantasy starter.