Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Marshawn Lloyd

Saturday, December 21, 12:03 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will be facing a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense on Sunday Night Football in Week 16 that has allowed the fewest half-PPR points to opposing RBs in the last five weeks, which includes just one rushing touchdown given up. However, because of the high volume that Dowdle has been seeing of late as Dallas' clear-cut No. 1 RB, he'll carry high-end RB2 value for fantasy managers still alive in the playoffs. The 26-year-old is coming off a a career-best 149 rushing yards on 25 carries in last week's win over the Carolina Panthers after setting a previous career-best with 131 rushing yards the week prior. In the last four games, Dowdle has really been eating, seeing at least 18 carries per game and averaging 5.69 yards per attempt with a touchdown. Fantasy managers may not want to expect another career performance on Sunday night, but Dowdle is certainly trending up.

Friday, December 20, 1:16 AM

The Green Bay Packers are not ready to rule out the possibility of running back MarShawn Lloyd (appendix) returning to action this season. When discussing Lloyd with the media on Thursday, head coach Matt LaFleur said, "I never want to shut the door on that. ... He's just going to focus on continuing to get better and when he can go, he'll go." The 23-year-old has endured a frustrating start to his NFL career, appearing in just one game so far. The rookie played back in Week 2, rushing six times for 15 yards on the ground while adding a three-yard reception. Lloyd remains a key part of the Packers' future plans, but the chances of him getting back on the field before fantasy playoffs conclude are slim. He should be dropped in all redraft formats and stashed in dynasty leagues.