Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Zamir 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 12, 2:33 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White has secured the No. 2 role behind rookie Ashton Jeanty, but his Week 1 usage was minimal. White played just 14% of offensive snaps and managed only eight yards on three carries, serving strictly in a relief role. The positive takeaway is that he has clearly distanced himself above Raheem Mostert on the depth chart, but with Jeanty handling 86% of the snaps and dominating touches, White's value is strictly that of a handcuff. Unless Jeanty misses time, there's little path to standalone fantasy relevance for White this season.