Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Rico Dowdle

Sunday, September 29, 9:29 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley took 10 carries for 84 yards and caught two of four targets for 32 yards during the team's 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 27-year-old had another slow start in this game but rumbled for 59 yards on the first play of the second half to set up the Eagles for their second touchdown of the day. It was a play that saved him from having a poor fantasy outing, but if this is the floor for Barkley's production as a fantasy player, then these fantasy managers are in good shape. This was a tough matchup where the Buccaneers were able to key in on the Eagles' star back due to the absence of wideouts A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) so being able to extend his 100 or more yards combined streak intact is impressive to say the least. Philadelphia was seemingly blessed with the early bye week, and the team will look to regroup and regain their top two pass catchers before their Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

Tuesday, October 1, 6:50 PM

Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle has seen his touches steadily outpace Ezekiel Elliott and Deuce Vaughn in 2024, especially over the last three weeks. Dowdle has also far and away seen the higher snap share of the trio this season. Most importantly, Dowdle has been the most effective running back for the Cowboys in 2024. He has 34 carries for 134 yards and nine receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown this season. The steady shift towards Dowdle as the main running back suggests that the Cowboys are starting to trust him and value his production thus far this season. Running back Dalvin Cook has been acclimating to the team on the practice squad and could feasibly eat into Dowdle's workload if he were to be activated. However, for now, Dowdle is a player worth rostering and monitoring on your bench should his role grow even more.