Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Kendre Miller

Sunday, January 11, 12:48 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle, who will be a free agent in March, said his decreased number of carries at the end of the season will impact his thinking in free agency, according to Joe Person of The Athletic. Dowdle said he wants to go somewhere "where he can get the bulk of the carries." The 27-year-old was an unquestioned RB1 during the 2025 season when Chuba Hubbard missed time with an injury. However, Dowdle was involved in more of a timeshare late in the year following Hubbard's return, and he watched Hubbard score twice in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday. He had only five rushing attempts for nine yards while adding one catch on two targets for six yards. In the final four regular-season games, Dowdle averaged only 3.3 yards per carry as his role shrank. It sounds as though Dowdle doesn't plan on signing in Carolina, but it remains to be seen if he'll be able to land a lead-back role elsewhere in free agency.

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.