Who Should I Start? Rico Dowdle or Zay Flowers
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10.7 | 48.6 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 14.5 | 0.1 |
Rico Dowdle News
Wednesday, July 15, 10:20 AM
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle is entering his first season in Pittsburgh after signing a two-year contract worth over $12 million in free agency. With the Steelers, Dowdle appears likely to operate as part of a split backfield with incumbent running back Jaylen Warren. While Warren logged 1,291 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns for the Steelers last year, Pittsburgh has a new coaching staff in place for the 2026 season. Dowdle has proven himself to be a capable three-down back in recent years, recording 1,328 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 and 1,373 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns for the Carolina Panthers in 2025. While Warren may handle most of the receiving work for Pittsburgh, Dowdle profiles as the better rusher between the tackles and at the goal line. Even while splitting touches with Panthers back Chuba Hubbard in 2025, Dowdle finished as the RB23 in per-game PPR scoring. At his current redraft ADP of RB32, Dowdle profiles as a value selection for fantasy managers.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13.8 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 4.7 | 68.1 | 0.3 |
Zay Flowers News
Friday, July 24, 5:13 AM
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers was the WR7 in 2025, and the impression he has made on new head coach Jesse Minter is obvious. In a recent sit-down appearance on The Lounge Podcast, Minter spoke glowingly of Flowers' character before touching on his versatility and the coaching staff's plans for him in 2026. Of his fourth-year receiver, Minter said, "He's not just a slot guy, he's not just an outside guy, he's not just a gadget guy. He can do everything... I look forward to him getting the ball in as many ways as possible. The more that guy touches the ball, the better we'll be." Flowers is RotoBaller's WR14 and has become somewhat of a sleeper in plain sight, having already shown a top 10 ceiling in a year that quarterback Lamar Jackson missed four games, and an apparent focal point of a new-look Ravens offense.
Rico Dowdle vs. Zay Flowers
Still trying to decide between Dowdle and Flowers? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Rico Dowdle is projected to score 10.7 points this week while Zay Flowers is projected to score 13.8 points.
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