Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Jaleel McLaughlin
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.9 | 32.3 | 0.3 | 2.1 | 14.2 | 0.1 |
Rico Dowdle News
Monday, March 9, 3:31 PM
The Pittsburgh Steelers are signing former Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle to an undisclosed deal on Monday, multiple sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. Dowdle was never expected to return to Carolina in his search for an RB1 role after back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. The 27-year-old carried the Panthers' backfield last year when Chuba Hubbard missed time due to injury, and he finished with 1,076 rushing yards and a career-high six rushing scores on 236 carries over 17 regular-season games (11 starts). Dowdle's production trailed off late last year, though, as Hubbard was kept in the fold out of the backfield. In Pittsburgh, he may have a similar problem. Pass-catching back Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Bucs, but Jaylen Watson remains and could be a serious threat to Dowdle's fantasy upside as he heads into his sixth NFL season. Dowdle finished 2025 as the RB16 in half-PPR scoring.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Jaleel McLaughlin News
Friday, March 13, 11:15 AM
The Denver Broncos agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal on Friday to re-sign running back Jaleel McLaughlin, a source told Parker Gabriel of The Denver Post. In addition to McLaughlin, the Broncos already brought back J.K. Dobbins (foot), so they'll have a very similar backfield going into the 2026 campaign, depending on what they do in April's NFL draft. The 25-year-old had a career-low 37 carries last year for 187 yards and one touchdown in eight regular-season games, even with Dobbins suffering a season-ending foot injury halfway through the year. The Broncos also have last year's second-rounder, RJ Harvey, who could have an even bigger role next to Dobbins next season. Unless injuries strike one of Dobbins or Harvey in 2026, McLaughlin probably isn't going to see the field all that often and could be a healthy scratch on game days more often than not. His dynasty/keeper stock is quickly plummeting.
Rico Dowdle vs. Jaleel McLaughlin
Still trying to decide between Dowdle and McLaughlin? 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 8.9 points this week while Jaleel McLaughlin is projected to score 0.0 points.
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