Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Javonte Williams
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.6 | 66.6 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 11.4 | 0.1 |
Javonte Williams News
Monday, July 13, 11:26 AM
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams had a resurgent season in 2025, recording 1,338 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns on 287 touches across 16 games. The Cowboys rewarded him with a new three-year contract in free agency, and Williams enters 2026 as the clear RB1 in Dallas. Williams' 2025 production came as a bit of a surprise after he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry on 356 attempts as a member of the Denver Broncos from 2023 through 2024. As such, Williams could be a regression candidate in 2026. Still, Williams is only entering his age-26 season, and 2025 may have been the first year where he was fully recovered from the devastating knee injury he suffered in 2023. Dallas projects to have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL this upcoming season, and Williams should play a three-down workhorse role for a second consecutive campaign. As the 15th running back off the board by current average draft position in redraft leagues, Williams may be slightly undervalued by fantasy managers entering 2026.
Rico Dowdle vs. Javonte Williams
Still trying to decide between Dowdle and Williams? 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 Javonte Williams is projected to score 13.6 points.
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