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Rico Dowdle's Fantasy Football Value Tanks After Signing With the Panthers
Rico Dowdle is coming off the best season of his career, rushing for 1,079 yards (4.6 yards per rush) while scoring 197.8 fantasy points with the Cowboys. Unfortunately, he won’t have a chance to put up similar totals after signing a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the Carolina Panthers.
Carolina needed running back depth after cutting Miles Sanders and with Jonathon Brooks (knee) out next season, so Dowdle will fit into the second spot behind Chuba Hubbard.
I have no concerns about Dowdle putting a dent into Hubbard’s touches either, at least to the point where it would hurt Hubbard's fantasy value. Remember, the Panthers signed Hubbard to a four-year, $33.2 million contract this past November. We all know, money plays.
So while Dowdle will be a popular handcuff in the late rounds of 2025 drafts, it would take a long-term Hubbard injury for him to have any sustainable value in most fantasy leagues.
Michael Fabiano is a fantasy football analyst for Sports Illustrated. His weekly rankings and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em articles are must-reads for fantasy players. He is also the co-host of the Fantasy Dirt Podcast on SI. Before joining SI in August 2020, he worked for CBS Sports, NFL Network and SiriusXM. He also contributes to Westwood One Radio. Fabiano was the first fantasy analyst to appear on one of the four major TV networks and is a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association Hall of Fame.