Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Jerome Ford

Tuesday, October 14, 12:01 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has been the talk of the NFL lately, recording 373 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on 60 total touches across his last two games played. Dowdle has been filling in for Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard (calf), who could make his return in Week 7 against the New York Jets. However, Panthers head coach Dave Canales has been non-committal about whether Hubbard will remain the starter once he returns. While Hubbard will certainly get his touches, it's hard to imagine that Carolina would completely remove Dowdle from the game plan, given what he has done over the last two weeks. If there are any leagues where Dowdle remains available, he needs to be rostered in all fantasy formats and could be a borderline must-start running back in Week 7, even if Hubbard returns to the lineup.

Friday, October 10, 7:37 PM

The Athletic's Daniel Popper speculates that if the Los Angeles Chargers explore the trade market at running back with Najee Harris (Achilles) done for the year and rookie first-rounder Omarion Hampton (ankle) on Injured Reserve, two potential options could be New York Jets RB Breece Hall and the Cleveland Browns' Jerome Ford. Both Hall and Ford are on expiring deals and could bring the Bolts a compensatory draft pick if they make it to free agency in 2026. Even when Hampton returns from IR, L.A. is going to need a second back to pair with him as a team with a run-first identity under offensive coordinator Greg Roman. At least for Week 6 against the Miami Dolphins, Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal are expected to share the backfield equally, giving them both flex appeal in deeper fantasy leagues. How aggressive the Chargers are on bringing in an outside RB will depend on how Haskins and Vidal fare in the coming weeks.