Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Woody Marks

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.

Sunday, September 14, 6:41 AM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks was part of the rotation in the team's backfield in Week 1, but the rookie played a very minimal role. He played just seven snaps (11%) against the Rams and took his three carries for three yards. The fourth-round pick showed some upside this training camp and preseason, but is clearly behind Nick Chubb and Dare Ogunbowale on the depth chart, and got the same amount of snaps and carries as Dameon Pierce as well. Down the road, Marks still has the potential to contribute if he can earn more work in the load sharing, but for Week 2 against the Buccaneers, he's a very high-risk play and should be left on the bench in almost all formats. He's the RB63 in the RotoBaller rankings for Week 2.