Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Woody Marks

Tuesday, November 25, 1:07 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle recorded six carries for 38 yards to go along with four receptions (four targets) for 36 yards in Monday night's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Dowdle was one of the few players who the Panthers could rely on to move the ball. The Panthers ran just 43 plays in the game, which limited their opportunities to get Dowdle a big workload. His 10 touches were his fewest in a game since their blowout loss to the Bills in Week 8, where he had only eight touches. The former Dallas Cowboy was still quite productive with his opportunities, leading the team in rushing and receiving yards. Backup Chuba Hubbard was also more involved than expected in this game, handling three carries for 15 yards and four catches for 27 yards. Dowdle has been more active as a receiver to offset some rushing inefficiencies lately, adding 12 receptions in the last three games, fifth most among running backs in that span. Dowdle has another tough matchup against an NFC West opponent in Week 13 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Thursday, November 20, 11:40 PM

Houston Texans running back Woody Marks rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries during Thursday's Week 12 win over the Buffalo Bills. He also caught his lone target for a loss of five yards. Marks led the Texans' backfield in the victory, notably logging 10 more carries than Nick Chubb. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry and was productive in short-yardage scenarios, rushing for a handful of first downs. Although Marks' lack of touchdowns and receptions resulted in him finishing below his fantasy projection in most formats, it was encouraging to see him handle the lead-back role with efficiency once again. He remains a mid-to-low RB2 with high volume heading into Week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts.