McCarthy commits to Dowdle as the sun sets on the Cowboys’ Season
When the final whistle blows on Monday night, the NFL season will enter its final third. For playoff hopeful teams this is what Redzone’s Scott Hansen would call “the witching hour, where wins become losses and losses become wins.” Unfortunately, the Dallas cowboys have a crack in their cauldron.
From a purely statistical standpoint Dallas, currently, has a 3% chance to make the playoffs. That would drop to 1% if they lose on Monday night. The bleak outlook gets even worse when you consider the current state of the team. With Cooper Rush at quarterback, don’t expect the Cowboys to be able to keep up with the Texans on Monday night.
However, there still may be some fantasy juice to squeeze from this lemon. This week Coach McCarthy made a commitment to feature Rico Dowdle at RB. “Definitely, you have to get him the ball. That’s my focus to continue to get him opportunities. He’s the lead back.,” McCarthy told the media, per Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. Even in light of the anemic offense in Dallas under Cooper Rush, this makes Dowdle a flex play for teams in need.
Joe Prinzivalli | @latehottakes
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was a bright spot on...
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle finished last week ...
Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle will look to ...
Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said running back Rico Dowdle’s role on special teams will diminish due to his expected increase in offensive workload.
There was a lot of speculation this offseason that Rico Dowdle would be in line for more usage this year and it is confirmed as Mike McCarthy has said Dowdle’s involvement in special teams will dwindle in lieu of an increased role on offense. The Cowboys lost running back Tony Pollard to the Titans in free agency but also added Ezekiel Elliot back in Pollard’s place. Elliot is obviously on the decline leaving room for Dowdle to step up and prove himself in a bigger role.
Dowdle is an excellent value pick at RB43 as he was already expected to see the passing work the Cowboys and is now drawing praise from the head coach calling for more touches. As a running back who saw some playing time last season, Dowdle is likely already rostered in dynasty leagues but he is about to reward managers with great return on their investment whether is comes through return in a trade or scoring points in their lineup.
Rico Dowdle is one of the top risers in PlayerProfiler’s Dynasty Deluxe lifetime value rating for the month of August.
Rico Dowdle’s dynasty fantasy football value is steadily climbing due to the lack of competition in the Dallas Cowboys’ running back room. With Tony Pollard’s departure, Dowdle is poised to become the primary ball carrier in a running back room shared with Ezekiel Elliott, Duece Vaughn, and Royce Freeman. Elliott and Freeman have little tread left on their tires, and Vaughn is tremendously undersized, which makes Dowdle stand out as a compelling option for dynasty managers seeking a running back with a clear path to immediate production.
Fantasy Managers should keep an eye out for any potential competition that could be introduced into the running back room following the NFL’s 53-man cut down day on Tuesday, August 27th. If Dowdle can make it to week 1 without the Cowboys making any noticeable additions, he’ll be poised for more carries and targets than what his current projections are. While his long-term outlook may be influenced by future roster moves, Dowdle’s current situation offers a promising opportunity for dynasty owners looking to win now.
Zeke splits first team reps with Rico Dowdle in Cowboys OTAs this week.
We have another RB committee on our hands. Ezekiel Elliott was spotted at Cowboys OTAs splitting first team reps with Rico Dowdle. While head coach Mike McCarthy previously stated that the Cowboys will use a committee approach this season, giving Dowdle early reps during the 1st week of OTAs is something to note.
The years of Zeke being a 1st round workhorse back are long gone at this point. For fantasy owners this season, Zeke’s outlook will probably be RB depth and a bye week fill-in. Splitting the backfield with Dowdle, Vaughn and Freeman will cap his upside, but this also means he will be fresher for his opportunities as Dallas’ “lead” back. The more interesting part of this story may be Dowdle’s upside as a later round pick, given Zeke’s injury history.
The Dallas Cowboys have signed Rico Dowdle to a one-year contract
Rico Dowdle has spent all four years of his professional career as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and that will continue for at least one more season. Sparingly used until 2023, Dowdle enjoyed a career-season accumulating 505 all-purpose yards and 4 touchdowns. His versatility as both a runner and pass-catcher bodes well for his future fantasy football prospects as well.
However, even with the departure of Tony Pollard, Dowdle figures to be a depth piece once again. The Cowboys didn’t address the running back position in free agency, but they will certainly do so in next month’s NFL Draft. With plenty of projected options available on day two and three, assume the starting running back for the Cowboys isn’t on the roster yet. Nonetheless, Dowdle will remain a valuable handcuff and should be rostered in all deeper dynasty fantasy football leagues.
Dallas has released RB Malik Davis opening the door for Rico Dowdle to take over as the No. 2 running back
The Dallas Cowboys have released RB Malik Davis from their roster amid cutdowns. An undrafted free agent coming out of Florida in 2022, Davis provided solid depth as a rookie, amassing over 220 all-purpose yards. He was also the presumptive handcuff to Tony Pollard coming into training camp; however, that changed during the preseason. Rico Dowdle and impressive rookie Deuce Vaughn seemingly passed him on the depth chart and will provide depth behind starting RB Pollard.
While Vaughn truthers are rejoicing today, it is likely Dowdle who will take over the No. 2 running back duties in Dallas. A three-year veteran, Dowdle hasn’t actually played in an NFL game since his rookie campaign in 2020. Nonetheless, he has impressed enough in camp to warrant a significant role in this backfield in 2022. Tony Pollard doesn’t have the build to take on a large workload, and Dowdle may carve out a regular part of the offense.
Dowdle will be rostered in fantasy leagues though for the handcuff value he provides in what will be one of the league’s best offenses. If anything were to happen to Pollard, Dowdle would immediately enter the conversation as a top 15 fantasy running back. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on Deuce Vaughn as well. After making the initial roster, the Cowboys appear to see something in the undersized running back from Kansas State. Vaughn doesn’t have the body to take on a large workload, but he could be highly efficient in the touches he does receive.
