Who Should I Start? Saquon Barkley or Rico Dowdle

Friday, August 1, 4:42 PM

Philadelphia Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley saw a "heavy workload as a ball-carrier and a receiver" during the team's training camp practice on Friday, according to Andrew DiCecco of Inside the Birds. A heavy rushing workload is the expectation for Barkley, as he led the NFL in rush attempts (345) and rushing yards (2,005) on his way to winning the AP Offensive Player of the Year Award in 2024. However, Barkley's receiving workload was relatively limited, as his 2.1 receptions per game was the lowest single-season mark of his career. Philadelphia has typically not utilized its running backs in the passing game during the Jalen Hurts era, but the team has also never had a running back as dynamic as Barkley. Modest reception totals are basically the only flaw in Barkley's fantasy profile, so correcting that could put him on track for a second-straight RB1 finish.

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.