Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or JaMycal Hasty

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.

Thursday, August 21, 11:16 PM

New England Patriots running back JaMycal Hasty rushed for 30 yards on 11 carries during Thursday's preseason finale against the New York Giants. He also converted his lone target into a nine-yard reception. With the preseason wrapping up, New England played most of its depth players against the Giants. Their gameday roster included Hasty, who is the lone Patriots running back whose status still appears to be up in the air. TreVeyon Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Antonio Gibson are virtually locks to make the team, but if the Patriots opt to keep a fourth running back, that job would likely go to Hasty. The veteran running back clearly has the attention of New England's front office, which claimed him off waivers in 2023, kept him around in 2024, and re-signed him to the roster just a few weeks ago. Even if he does make the team, Hasty's limited role would keep him off the fantasy radar.