Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Ja'Marr Chase
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7 | 48.6 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 14.5 | 0.1 |
Rico Dowdle News
Wednesday, July 15, 10:20 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle is entering his first season in Pittsburgh after signing a two-year contract worth over $12 million in free agency. With the Steelers, Dowdle appears likely to operate as part of a split backfield with incumbent running back Jaylen Warren. While Warren logged 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns for the Steelers last year, Pittsburgh has a new coaching staff in place for the 2026 season. Dowdle has proven himself to be a capable three-down back in recent years, recording 1,328 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and 1,373 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers in 2025. While Warren may handle most of the receiving work for Pittsburgh, Dowdle profiles as the better rusher between the tackles and at the goal line. Even while splitting touches with Panthers back Chuba Hubbard in 2025, Dowdle finished as the RB23 in per-game PPR scoring. At his current redraft ADP of RB32, Dowdle profiles as a value selection for fantasy managers.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 84.8 | 0.6 |
Ja'Marr Chase News
Monday, July 13, 11:38 AM
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase turned in another highly productive season in 2025, recording 125 catches for 1,412 yards and eight touchdowns on 185 targets across 16 games. The 26-year-old has now led the NFL in targets in back-to-back seasons, and he should be the focal point of the Cincinnati offense once again in 2026. While Chase's touchdown production fell from 17 in 2025 to eight in 2026, he showed an ability to remain a highly impactful fantasy wideout even in a season where Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow played just eight games. Chase finished 2026 as the WR3 in per-game PPR scoring, behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Chase may have the highest floor of any player in fantasy football, making him a logical choice as the number one overall player off the board in redraft leagues ahead of 2026.
Rico Dowdle vs. Ja'Marr Chase
Still trying to decide between Dowdle and Chase? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Rico Dowdle is projected to score 10.7 points this week while Ja'Marr Chase is projected to score 18.7 points.
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