Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or Rico Dowdle

Saturday, October 18, 9:10 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard's fantasy value has started to decline following the return of Tyjae Spears, and he'll continue to face an uphill battle to produce in Week 7 against the New England Patriots. The veteran's snap share was essentially cut in half last week as Spears took on a bigger workload. A reduced snap share is never a good sign for fantasy purposes, and it's particularly concerning when discussing one of the NFL's worst teams. Pollard no longer has volume or game script on his side, making him tough to trust in fantasy football. To make matters worse, he's facing the Patriots, who have allowed the third-fewest rushing yards and fifth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2025. Managers in most leagues can bench Pollard this week. At best, he is an RB3/flex.

Saturday, October 18, 4:25 PM

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has been one of the best stories in the NFL over the past two weeks, totaling an unbelievable 473 yards and two touchdowns as the lead back in place of Chuba Hubbard (calf). Hubbard will make his return on Sunday against the Jets, which muddies the outlook for the backfield this week. Hubbard earned a contract extension for his strong production last season and operated as the clear lead back before getting injured this season, but the superb play of Dowdle certainly changes some things. Head coach Dave Canales was noncommittal on how touches would be distributed, but expect it to be close to an even split, perhaps with a lean to Dowdle. Given his recent strong play, Dowdle profiles as a viable RB2 or flex start in Week 7 against the Jets.