Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Rico Dowdle

Saturday, September 13, 12:47 AM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley tied for the sixth-most rushing attempts in the league last week (18), once again proving that he has one of the most reliably-heavy workloads in the NFL. He also made PPR managers happy with his four receptions on five targets-both good for second-most on the team. In Week 2 Barkley faces a Chiefs defense that held Omarion Hampton to just 48 yards on 15 attempts last Friday, but that was a rookie, and this is Saquon Barkley. After leading Philly in targets and receptions in their last meeting against Kansas City in the Super Bowl, expect Barkley to have a prominent role in the passing game again this week. He's a top-tier RB1 as per usual.

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.