RicoDowdle

News: 5 days agoDowdle carried the ball 18 times for 58 yards and caught both his targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Rams.

Spin: The fifth-year running back split touches nearly equally with Chuba Hubbard, but it was Hubbard who paced Carolina's backfield with 124 scrimmage yards, including a 35-yard TD reception from Bryce Young in the first quarter. Dowdle has gone three straight games without getting into the end zone himself, producing 141 rushing yards on only 3.3 yards per carry during that stretch, and Hubbard could be re-emerging as the Panthers' top RB. The team will be on bye next week, so clarity in the backfield pecking order likely won't come until a Week 15 clash with the Saints.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Dowdle signed with Carolina after spending his first four seasons in Dallas. Rarely utilized during his first two years with the Cowboys, Dowdle worked his way up to a backup role in 2023 before fending off Ezekiel Elliott for lead-back duties in 2024. He appeared in 16 games and ranked in the top 20 among backs in carries, rushing yards, receptions, touches and scrimmage yards. Dowdle found the end zone only five times in Dallas' struggling offense, however, which limited him to a 24th-place finish in fantasy points per game. The 27-year-old showed well in a tough situation, but he'll enter 2025 as a clear backup to Chuba Hubbard, with rookie Trevor Etienne also a threat for work. Dowdle has some deep-league insurance appeal, though he would max out as a RB2/flex even if called on to start.