Fantasy Football: Only one NFL player named more intriguing than Rico Dowdle Week 10

The Carolina Panthers have stumbled their way into finding a pot of gold. Thanks to an ankle injury for starter Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle emerged last month and instantly established himself as one of the most dynamic and explosive rushers in the entire NFL.

For a couple of games after Hubbard returned head coach Dave Canales tried a non-sensical split at running back between Hubbard and Dowdle, even though the latter had consistently performed far better this year.

Last week Canales finally abandoned that arrangement and gave Dowdle a proper workload for a RB1. It paid off, as Dowdle posted 130 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay's second-ranked run defense - all with having multiple offensive line starters out or not 100%.

Looking ahead, it's difficult to see what might slow Dowdle down this season. Heading into Week 10, one fantasy football analyst has just one player named more intriguing than Dowdle this week. Pat Fitzmaurice at Fantasy Pros has Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai in his No. 1 spot, but Dowdle is a strong second place.

"Dowdle could feast again this week against the lowly Saints, who are 1-8 and just sold off two of their offensive starters at Tuesday’s trade deadline. New Orleans has yielded the sixth-most rushing yards. League-winner is a tired, oft-misused term in fantasy football, but Dowdle might fit that description."

Dowdle is more than just a fantasy league winner - he's changed what's possible for the Panthers this season. With a vastly improved defense and a (now) elite rushing attack, Carolina is a threat to beat most teams any given week - as they proved with Sunday's upset on the road against the Packers.

One analyst even has the Panthers projected to finish with a 10-7 record, an almost unthinkable improvement over last season. With Dowdle this hot, it's definitely possible.

They could go even further, if they could only get Bryce Young consistently producing. It would certainly help if they can find him another receiver he can rely on to pair with Tetairoa McMillan. With the trade deadline past, there's slim hope of that happening this season, though.

Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) celebrates with quarterback Bryce Young (9) after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Bank of America Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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