Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Will Shipley

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 12, 4:56 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley (oblique) has been ruled out for their Week 2 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs due to an oblique injury. Shipley was held out of practice during the entire week and will set his sights on returning in Week 3 when the Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams. The second-year running back suffered this injury during the first half of their season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. Before exiting, Shipley took three carries for 26 yards. Fantasy managers should expect the newly-acquired Tank Bigsby to serve as the No. 2 option behind workhorse Saquon Barkley this weekend. When Shipley returns, he may face competition for the No. 2 job. As a result, he is only worth stashing in as a low-upside handcuff in deeper 16+ team leagues for the time being.