Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Zach Charbonnet

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.

Saturday, August 30, 8:30 AM

Seattle Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet had a great training camp, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, and he could have a larger role in the team's offense after Kenneth Walker III missed significant time while dealing with a foot injury. With Klint Kubiak in place as the team's new offensive coordinator, the team will likely have a renewed focus on the run game, and Charbonnet and Walker could both be solid fantasy options at times this season. Last year, Charbonnet had 569 rushing yards on 135 carries while adding 42 catches for 340 receiving yards, all new career highs in his second season out of UCLA. He also found the end zone nine times. Charbonnet is the RB32 in the RotoBaller rankings and is a very solid RB3 with RB2 upside if he does indeed seize a larger role in Seattle's backfield after his strong camp.