Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Rachaad White

Saturday, August 9, 4:08 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle showed a glimpse of his potential as a pass-catching threat in the team's preseason debut against the Cleveland Browns, recording one reception for 20 yards to go along with two rushes for seven yards. The 27-year-old running back is entering his sixth season in the NFL after spending his entire career with the Dallas Cowboys, which was riddled with injuries. Dowdle is clearly behind Chuba Hubbard on the depth chart, but could carve out a role in the Panthers' receiving or two-minute offense in 2025. Coming off an underwhelming 2024 season in Dallas, where high hopes for the lead back role didn't materialize (235-1,079-2 on the ground, 39-249-3 in the air), a move to a new location and a backup role could take some pressure off Dowdle and allow him to grow into his potential. Rotoballer currently projects him as RB55, but Dowdle could be a sneaky stash if anything happens to Hubbard throughout the season.

Friday, September 5, 8:41 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White is expected to take a backseat in the backfield in 2025. Last season, White began the season as the lead back, but ultimately lost the starting role to Bucky Irving. White saw his role in the offense decrease to the point where he only saw 20 touches over the final four games of the season. He finished last season with 613 rushing yards and scored three touchdowns on the ground. White also hauled in 51 receptions for 393 additional yards and six touchdowns through the air. The expectation is that Irving will do a majority of the ground work while White is the primary receiving back. That being said, White isn't going to offer a ton of fantasy value heading into the season opener versus the Atlanta Falcons. White should be viewed as a flex option in PPR leagues with Irving serving as the lead back now in Tampa Bay.