Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle finished last week in RB1 range, and a similar outcome is possible on Monday night as Dallas takes on the Cincinnati Bengals. Dowdle has completely taken over the backfield and even with key offensive linemen out, has managed to produce. While Cincinnati's run defense is not quite as weak as their pass defense, it is still a favorable matchup in a game where many points are anticipated to be scored. Fresh off of his first career 100-yard rushing performance, Dowdle should be in lineups this week.
Rico Dowdle Breaks Century Mark In Thanksgiving Win
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle posted his first-ever 100-yard rushing game in the 27-20 division win on Thanksgiving. The 26-year-old finished with 112 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries with three receptions for 11 yards on three targets. Dowdle's top six rushing outputs have all come this season now that he's seeing a higher snap share. In fact, this game against the Giants was his second-highest snap share of the year with 70%. Dowdle should continue to be one of the fantasy bright spots in this offense for the rest of the year and will look to keep the momentum rolling against the Bengals in Week 14.
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will look to deliver flex value in fantasy in Week 13. The Cowboys will host the New York Giants in a Thanksgiving Day tilt. The Giants have been much better against the pass than the run in 2024 and the Cowboys may look to exploit that weakness. Dowdle has come alive as the Cowboys' feature back in recent weeks. His production is not anything spectacular, but he is certainly worthy of a flex spot if you are dealing with injuries. Dowdle has scored double-digit PPR fantasy points in five of his seven games played. He is very involved in the passing game which will help offset any lack of rushing output in Dallas' middling offense. Dowdle also has a chance to find the end zone for the first time on the ground this season. With New York's offense not faring much better than Dallas' over the last few weeks, the Cowboys should be in a neutral to positive game script all day. You do not need to force Dowdle into your lineup this week, but he should provide a solid fantasy floor as he has for most of the season since he took over as the starting running back.
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle paced the team in rushing on Sunday in the 34-26 victory over Washington. Dowdle carried the ball 19 times for 86 yards, accounting for 94% of the team's rushing yards. He was targeted three times, catching all three for 12 yards. The Cowboys' lead back will remain in RB2 territory heading into Thursday's Thanksgiving game against the New York Giants.
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle is one of the lone healthy players on the offense heading into Week 13. Despite Dallas' struggles running the ball behind a young offensive line, Dowdle grades as a flex option this week against a Washington defense that surrenders the sixth-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. Dowdle could see even more touches than usual if star receiver CeeDee Lamb (back, foot) misses Sunday's tilt, making him a high-end flex option. His ceiling is limited due to Dallas' offensive struggles, but Dowdle should be started in most formats with loads of byes across the league.
Rico Dowdle Held To 34 Total Yards Against Houston
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle rushed for 28 yards on 10 carries during Monday's loss to the Houston Texans. He also caught two of his five targets for an additional six receiving yards. Even as quarterback Cooper Rush racked up production in garbage time, the Cowboys' starting running back was not able to get very involved. Between his subpar volume and reduced efficiency, Dowdle will drop to the low-end RB3 tier next week against Washington.
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle grades as a high-end RB3 heading into Monday night's matchup with the Houston Texans. Mike McCarthy stated earlier this week that there is no more committee in Dallas, although that has become increasingly evident over the past month with Dowdle's usage ramping up. With guaranteed volume he is startable, but his ceiling remains limited due to the downturn of the Cowboys' offense without quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring). Dowdle is a volume-based play in Week 11 against a Houston defense that ranks seventh against opposing running backs.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy gave running back Rico Dowdle a ringing endorsement on Thursday, saying, "He's the lead back. Rico needs to touch the ball." Fellow backfield mate Ezekiel Elliott returned from a one-game absence for disciplinary reasons in the Week 10 blowout loss to the division-rival Philadelphia Eagles, with Dowdle seeing 12 carries for 53 yards and catching all three of his targets for three yards. The 26-year-old likely would have had a much better day had the Cowboys not fallen behind by a significant margin on the scoreboard. Zeke had six carries for 22 yards and lost a fumble. Dowdle played 52% of the offensive snaps compared to Elliott's 22%. Dowdle will continue to be Dallas' lead RB, but with quarterback Dak Prescott (shoulder) now done for the year, it makes Dowdle a lower-upside RB3/flex for fantasy managers.
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was the clear-cut lead back on Sunday in what was an abysmal offensive showing. Dowdle carried the ball 12 times for 53 yards and caught all three targets for just three yards. He ripped off a 19-yard run, good for the longest Dallas offensive play of the game. Dowdle appears entrenched as the top running back in the offense, although his value has taken a clear hit without quarterback Dak Prescott. He should be a matchup-dependent flex option moving forward.
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle has captured the lead role in the backfield over the past few weeks, but the offense may lose some efficiency with quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring) set to miss at least the next four games. Dowdle should see significant volume coming off of an RB1 finish a week ago, but the matchup against Philadelphia's third-ranked run defense is far from ideal. He can be considered a flex option with a fairly lower floor than usual this week.
Rico Dowdle
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Cowboys
