Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Zamir White

Wednesday, November 5, 3:19 PM

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales said the team is being smart with running back Rico Dowdle (quadriceps), which is why he was held out of Wednesday's practice, according to Darin Gantt of Panthers.com. "We're counting on him this weekend," Canales said. It sounds as though the Panthers are expecting Dowdle to be fine to play this Sunday against the division-rival New Orleans Saints, but he'll need to get back onto the practice field in the coming days. The 27-year-old has taken over lead-back duties from Chuba Hubbard in Carolina by running for 652 yards and three touchdowns on 103 carries in the last five games while adding 10 catches for 112 yards and another trip to paydirt. Fantasy managers will want to keep a close eye on Dowdle's status the rest of the week, but as long as he's active in Week 10, he's a no-doubt RB1 against the Saints.

Friday, October 17, 8:49 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Zamir White has reclaimed his role as the team's primary backup to Ashton Jeanty heading into Week 7. After briefly losing the job to Raheem Mostert, White appears to have earned back the RB2 spot following Mostert's recent struggles. While Jeanty continues to handle the majority of touches as the Raiders' clear workhorse, White's return to the No. 2 role puts him back on the fantasy radar as a valuable handcuff. The 26-year-old's combination of power and downhill running fits well in short-yardage and late-game situations, and he would hold immediate flex value if Jeanty were to miss time. For now, White remains a bench stash in most fantasy formats but is worth monitoring in deeper leagues or for managers seeking insurance behind one of the league's most heavily utilized backs.