Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Kendre Miller

Saturday, December 13, 12:11 PM

In Week 13, Rico Dowdle totaled 58 rushing yards on 18 carries and 21 receiving yards on two receptions against the Rams. Dowdle finished the game with 9.9 PPR points, which was his lowest since being named the starting RB for Carolina in Week 9. Chuba Hubbard also outperformed Dowdle in that game, registering 20.4 PPR points on 124 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown. Hubbard also took the most snaps (59%) between the RBs. Head coach Dave Canales confirmed that Dowdle would be the featured back on early downs and at the goal line. This week, the Panthers face the New Orleans Saints for the second time this season. Against the RB position, the Saints rank 18th in Fantasy Points Per Game Allowed. In Week 10 against the Saints, Dowdle had 53 rushing yards on 18 carries with one touchdown. With a continued shared workload, he is likely to remain an RB2 starter with a decent statistical fantasy floor. Over the last four weeks before the bye, Dowdle averaged 12.9 PPR points per game.

Monday, October 20, 1:21 PM

New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Week 7 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday and will miss the rest of the year, sources told Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports. It's a tough blow for Miller and for the Saints' backfield depth behind starter Alvin Kamara. The 23-year-old had ascended into the biggest role of his career in his third year in the league as the direct backup to Kamara, carrying the ball 47 times for 193 yards (career-best 4.1 yards per tote) and a touchdown while adding five catches on five targets for 30 yards as a pass-catcher through seven games. Miller has been plagued by the injury bug since entering the NFL as a third-rounder in 2023, as he missed 20 of a possible 34 games in his first two seasons. With Miller now sidelined until next year, rookie Devin Neal becomes the primary handcuff option for Kamara's fantasy managers.