Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Jonathon Brooks

Tuesday, October 15, 1:17 AM

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy expressed the need for running back Rico Dowdle to get more opportunities, stating, "He definitely needs to touch the ball more, without a doubt." Dowdle had only five carries for 25 yards rushing in Dallas's loss to the Lions. With the team falling behind early, he was more active in the passing game, catching five passes for 30 yards. In contrast, Ezekiel Elliott managed just 17 yards on six carries against Detriot, marking his fourth straight game with six or fewer rushes and failing to reach 20 yards each time. It will be interesting to see if McCarthy follows through on his promise to increase Dowdle's touches, as he appears to be the more explosive option. The Cowboys are on bye this week and will return in Week 8 to face San Francisco on Sunday Night Football.

Friday, October 18, 1:10 PM

Carolina Panthers rookie running back Jonathon Brooks (knee) was limited in Friday's practice but has been ruled out and won't make his NFL debut this weekend versus the Washington Commanders. Brooks made his return to practice for the first time this year on Wednesday while recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered last November while playing in college at Texas, so the 21-year-old wasn't realistically expected to play in Week 7. However, the 46th overall pick in this year's draft (the first RB off the board), could become a big part of Carolina's backfield alongside Chuba Hubbard later this year once he gets up to speed. Brooks will need to make more progress in practice next week to have a shot to make his debut for the Panthers in Week 8 against the Denver Broncos. He's worth stashing in all fantasy leagues.