Rico Dowdle
2025 Season Outlooks
Dowdle came alive in the second half of the 2024 season and found his way onto a lot of playoff rosters as an RB2 or flex. He finished the 2024 season as the RB25 overall averaging 9.9 Fantasy points per game. He also accrued the 20th-most touches per game (17.1) with 235 carries (15th-most) as Dallas leaned heavily on its run game after Dak Prescott landed on injured reserve. Dowdle turned those carries into a 1,000-yard rushing season -- 1,079 to be exact -- good for 12th-most at the position. With just 3.1 targets per game (22nd-most) and just five total touchdowns (32nd) he just narrowly missed finishing inside the top 24 at the position. Dowdle signed with the Panthers this offseason and is likely to operate as the 1B behind Chuba Hubbard in an emerging offense. He's worth drafting as early as Round 14.
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.
2025 Fantasy Football Rankings
Standard
#197
PPR
#185
Half-PPR
#176
Superflex
#177
2025 Fantasy Football Draft Projections
| Rush Yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec TD | 394.5 | 2.5 | 25.5 | 171.2 | 1.1 |
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2025 Average Draft Position (ADP)
Standard
#146
Pick 13.02
PPR
#168
Pick 14.12
Half-PPR
#168
Pick 14.12
Superflex
#175
Pick 15.07
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