Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Keaton Mitchell

Sunday, November 2, 7:23 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle had 25 rushing attempts, 130 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 9 win over the Green Bay Packers. He also caught two of his three targets for an additional 11 receiving yards. Dowdle was named the official lead back ahead of this week's game, and he wasted no time confirming the coaching staff made the right decision with his role. He averaged at least 4.65 yards per carry for the fifth consecutive week, bringing his season total to 5.61 YPC. After being somewhat of a non-factor through the first four weeks of the season, Dowdle has suddenly emerged as a potential league-winner in fantasy football. He is the RB3 in PPR leagues over the last five weeks, as well as the overall RB9 over the full nine weeks since the season began. He has a firm grasp on the No. 1 role in Carolina and should be deployed as a strong RB1 option in fantasy football ahead of next week's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Saturday, October 4, 11:23 AM

Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell is expected to be active for the first time this season against the Houston Texans. The third-year back has been a healthy scratch through the first four weeks, but he's finally set to make his season debut in Week 5. With Lamar Jackson (hamstring) sidelined, the Ravens are expected to lean heavily on the run game, especially with four running backs now on the active roster. The Texans have allowed the 15th-most fantasy points to running backs, and while Mitchell isn't projected to see a major workload right away, his activation adds excitement to Baltimore's backfield rotation. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on how he's utilized in this new-look offense, as his explosiveness could earn him a more significant role moving forward.