Why Fantasy Football Managers Should Trade Rico Dowdle Before His Value Drops

Rico Dowdle’s Week 5 breakout makes him a prime fantasy football sell-high candidate.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) is the ideal fantasy football sell-high candidate as he will be relegated back to the bench once Chuba Hubbard is healthy. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle delivered one of the most eye-popping performances of the 2025 fantasy football season, exploding for 206 rushing yards, 28 receiving yards, and a touchdown in Carolina’s Week 5 win over Miami. His 32.4 fantasy points not only vaulted him into RB1 territory for the week but also made him one of the most popular waiver-wire names and trade targets across fantasy leagues.

But here’s the problem: it’s not sustainable. Although he has a plus matchup in Week 6, his starting spot's days are numbered. Dowdle’s value has likely peaked, and sharp managers should take advantage now before reality catches up.

Rico Dowdle: The Ideal Sell-High Candidate

Dowdle’s big day came in large part due to Chuba Hubbard’s absence. Hubbard sat out Week 5 with a calf injury, and the Panthers handed Dowdle a full workload, 26 total touches, 67 percent of the offensive snaps, and over 170 yards after contact, per Pro Football Focus.

That kind of usage simply won’t repeat once Hubbard returns, which could be as soon as next week.

Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) exploded against the Miami Dolphins in Week 5 and lifted up many fantasy football teams in the process. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Before Week 5, Hubbard out-snapped Dowdle 177 to 97 on the season, controlling the backfield in both touches and designed plays. The Panthers have made clear that they don’t plan to put Hubbard on injured reserve, meaning this backfield will likely revert to a timeshare once he’s healthy.

That means Week 5 wasn’t a breakout; it was an outlier. And if you've read any fantasy football content this week, you've already heard the trade advice, likely multiple times, that it's best to move on from Dowdle.

The Mirage of Volume Means the Trade Window Is Now

Carolina’s Week 5 win came against a struggling Miami defense that has been shredded on the ground by multiple backs this season. Dowdle’s 206 rushing yards more than doubled his total yardage from the previous four weeks combined. Even if he earned a slightly larger role, the numbers suggest that his Week 5 performance is smoke and mirrors rather than a sign of long-term reliability.

Expect Carolina to return to its usual committee approach, at best a 50/50 split, where neither back commands enough volume to be a consistent fantasy starter. That would leave Dowdle back in the mid-RB3 or flex range, dependent on touchdowns or explosive plays.

Fantasy football is all about timing, and this is the classic “sell-high” moment. Running back depth is thin across most leagues, and managers desperate for backfield help will often overpay after a monster week. Package Dowdle now before the Panthers’ workload normalizes.

Rico Dowdle is your week 5 waiver wire MVP 🐐 pic.twitter.com/RariE4uTMl

— Sleeper (@SleeperHQ) October 5, 2025

Even a smaller package deal, Dowdle plus a bench piece for a more stable RB2 or WR2, could be a savvy move that strengthens your roster for the long haul.

Fantasy history is filled with one-week wonders. The list of running backs who briefly lit up the scoreboard before fading back into obscurity is long. Dowdle’s Week 5 explosion looks like another addition to that list.

Unless Hubbard suffers a major injury setback, Dowdle’s heavy usage will evaporate quickly, leaving him back in a split backfield on an offense that isn’t exactly built to sustain two fantasy-relevant backs.

The smart play is to move him now, not next week, not after one more game. Dowdle’s value will never be higher than it is today, and maximizing that window could be the move that keeps your fantasy team in contention come playoff time.