Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Malik Nabers

Friday, January 30, 12:35 PM

ESPN's David Newton writes that unless Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle wants to "return at a bargain price," he "appears headed to this third team in three seasons." General manager Dan Morgan said he had a good meeting with Dowdle after the season, but Dowdle was unhappy with the way the year ended -- he had seven carries for 10 yards in the Week 18 regular-season finale and only five carries for nine yards in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 27-year-old has produced back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and was Carolina's leading rusher (1,076 yards), but he'd likely be in a committee backfield again with Chuba Hubbard if he were to re-sign. Hubbard is locked in through the 2028 campaign on a four-year, $33.2 million deal he signed in 2024. "I just want to be a guy who can go out there and just get the bulk [of the carries]," Dowdle said.

Tuesday, January 20, 2:08 PM

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen said on Tuesday that the hope is for wide receiver Malik Nabers (knee) to be ready for the start of training camp at the end of July, according to SNY. Nabers was less optimistic about his timeline to return from a torn ACL when he talked to the media after the Week 18 season finale, and Schoel also admitted that "things can change." The 22-year-old tore his right ACL back on Sept. 28 and didn't have surgery until late October. Nabers is one of the best and most dominant young receivers in the game, and his fantasy upside is buoyed by the fact that he has a young, rising quarterback to work with for years to come in Jaxson Dart. However, fantasy managers may be hesitant to use a high draft pick on a player coming off a torn ACL, especially if he's not a full-go for the start of the regular season this fall. We'll keep very close tabs on Nabers' recovery all offseason.