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    Rico Dowdle ‘should end up as’ Steelers’ workhorse

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    PIT Running Back #13
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    FOX Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano believes RB Rico Dowdle “should end up as the workhorse in the Steelers’ backfield” this year.

    Recent reporting from ESPN suggests the Steelers will employ a run-heavy approach this season. Vacchiano agrees and adds that Steelers coach Mike McCarthy believes Dowdle could help the team produce a strong running game this season. That said, Vacchiano also said that Dowdle and RB Jaylen Warren could form “a potent tandem,” so Vacchiano may only be indicating that Dowdle will be the team’s primary rusher while Warren changes the pace and plays on passing downs. Both players sit in the fringe RB2/FLEX barrel right now.
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  • PIT Running Back #13
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    Dowdle now has two limited practice sessions under his belt. He remains in the questionable column for the Steelers’ Week 5 game against the Colts, but a return from his multi-week injury is possible. If active, Dowdle would likely be an RB3/FLEX
  • PIT Running Back #13
    McCarthy said he expects Dowdle and Jaylen Warren to be a “one-two punch” once Dowdle returns to the field. Warren has totaled 34 rushes over the last two weeks while rushing for 220 scoreless yards, but had a 21-89-0 line during the first two weeks of the season when Dowdle was active. Both backs will likely fall in the RB3/FLEX range if Dowdle suits up for Week 5’s game against the Colts.
  • PIT Running Back #30
    Warren’s six targets combine with his 17 carries to give him his second consecutive game with more than 20 opportunities in the absence of Rico Dowdle, seeing all but two running back opportunities in the process. More impressive was the fact that he once again maintained elite efficiency on the ground through the additional touches, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt against a solid Browns run defense. The veteran back appears likely to revert to a strict timeshare with Dowdle expected back for Week 5 after the long week, bringing him back to the RB3 range for a meeting with the Colts.
  • PIT Running Back #30
    It sounds like Warren is belongs on the RB1/2 border with Rico Dowdle (toe) sidelined again this week. The Steelers will try to control the line of scrimmage by frequently deploying TEs Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington, both in the run game and as receivers.
  • PIT Running Back #13
    Dowdle did not practice this week and was ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Browns. Rapoport called him day-to-day. The mini-bye between today’s game and Pittsburgh’s Week 5 date with Indy at home should be enough rest to get Dowdle back on the field. Jaylen Warren will see almost the entirety of the backfield tonight before returning to committee duties once Dowdle is healthy.
  • PIT Running Back #13
    Dowdle did not practice once this week before being ruled out for Thursday’s game against the Browns. The mini-bye ahead of Week 5 may help him get back on the field, but his status for next week’s contest is very much up in the air. Jaylen Warren will see the bulk of the backfield work versus Cleveland. he ran 17 times and caught three passes in Week 3. With an elite workload versus a middling Cleveland defense, Warren is a high-end RB2 this week.
  • PIT Running Back #13
    Dowdle remains out with a toe injury he suffered in Week 2. Opening a short week with back-to-back DNPs indicates he will sit out once again for Week 4 against the Browns. Jaylen Warren will be the workhorse for a Thursday night matchup.
  • PIT Running Back #30
    Warren operated as an every-down back in Week 3 against the Bengals, running for 127 yards on 17 carries and catching three passes for 49 yards in a victory. DeFabo suggested Warren had established himself as the team’s clear lead back option against the Bengals with Rico Dowdle (toe) sidelined. “I’ve always had respect for him, playing against him, and then being his teammate now for a little more than a season,” Aaron Rodgers said of Warren. “He is one of the toughest guys I’ve ever played with, and I just can’t say enough about his energy and the way he runs the football and the way he cares about his teammates.” Warren’s pass game involvement spiked in Week 3, as he ran a route on 70 percent of Pittsburgh’s drop backs. Dowdle, meanwhile, did not practice Monday ahead of the Steelers’ Thursday game against the Browns. Warren should remain in all lineups this week.
  • PIT Running Back #13
    Dowdle was unable to play in the team’s Week 3 win over the Bengals with the same issue and will likely need to get back on the practice field to have a chance to suit up on Thursday Night Football against the Browns in Week 4. Expect Jaylen Warren to see another game of workhorse usage after a 90 percent snap rate on Sunday, should Dowdle be unable to go. Warren would be a volume-based RB1 in a middling matchup in Dowdle’s absence.
  • PIT Running Back #30
    Warren ripped off a 30-yard reception on the Steelers’ first play of the game and was reliable throughout while serving as the Steelers’ primary back. Warren gained 20 or more yards on three plays and would have found the end zone on a 26-yard run in the fourth quarter if not for tripping and falling in the open field. This was exactly the kind of performance fantasy managers were hoping for with Rico Dowdle (toe) sidelined, as Warren was on the field for 53 of 59 offensive snaps for Steelers RBs. The Steelers play the Browns on Thursday in Week 4; if Dowdle can’t heal up in time to play on the short week, Warren would again be a volume-based RB2 with plenty of upside.

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  • NYJ Wide Receiver #15
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    Adonai Mitchell (finger) will not play in Week 5 against the Brown.

  • NYJ Running Back #20
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    Breece Hall (quad) will not play in Week 5 against the Browns.

  • FA Wide Receiver #10
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    Free agent WR Tyreek Hill testified in an assault and batter civil case in Miami on Thursday.

    This trial stems from a 2025 case in which Hill was alleged to have physically abused his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro. At his hearing, Hill admitted to saying to her that he was “able to get people to hurt her,” but denied allegations that he “hit, scratched or shoved Vaccaro, pulled out her hair, spit in her face or punched toward her stomach while she was pregnant,” per ESPN’s Xuan Thai. Legally speaking, a jury will decide whether or not Hill’s actions warrant any kind of punishment, but the league will likely decide after the trial whether or not Hill’s actions warrant a suspension, which could be as high as six games. Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, recently suggested the 32-year-old receiver could sign with a team in the very near future, but it wouldn’t be surprising if teams interested in him waited to see how this trial plays out. The trial is expected to continue on Friday, when Vaccaro’s attorney will have a chance to question Hill.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #88
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    NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports CeeDee Lamb’s quad injury is not believed to be serious after Week 5’s loss to the Buccaneers.

    Lamb was on the field for a few more plays in Thursday’s loss to the Buccaneers after his injury was announced. Rapoport reports that Lamb is believed to be dealing with a quad bruise, which is not believed to be serious. Lamb and the Cowboys now have over a week to rest up before facing the Packers on Sunday Night Football in Week 6. Barring an unexpected development, we would expect Lamb to be good to go for next week’s game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #19
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    Ryan Flournoy caught 3-of-4 targets for 90 yards in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    Flournoy continues to operate as the clear WR3 behind CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, typically incapable of returning viable fantasy production in their shadows. He hit for a 48-yard reception at the end of the second quarter to set up a go-ahead field goal entering the break, otherwise remaining about as quiet as we would expect. This was the first game in 2026 over a modest 37 yards for Flournoy, who could be tasked with additional emphasis in the immediate future after Lamb departed with a quad injury in the fourth quarter. He could be worth a speculative add ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the reeling Packers.
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    Jake Ferguson caught 3-of-6 targets for 19 yards in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    Ferguson committed two uncharacteristic drops against the Buccaneers, the second of which resulted in a game-sealing interception to push the Cowboys to 2-3 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Packers. Now held to 43 yards or fewer in five consecutive games, Ferguson is relegated to a touchdown-dependent TE2.
  • DAL Wide Receiver #3
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    George Pickens caught 9-of-13 targets for 130 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    Pickens was the primary target throughout the game against the single-high-heavy Buccaneers, scoring a late fourth quarter touchdown to cap off his first impressive fantasy outing of the young season. Furthermore, fellow receiver CeeDee Lamb departed the game in the fourth quarter with a quad injury that he was unable to play through, potentially setting up Pickens for immense volume in a Week 6 meeting with the Packers at Lambeau. Fantasy managers have patiently watched as Lamb stole the show through the first four games of 2026, but it now appears as if Pickens will have his time to shine, pending the severity of Lamb’s soft tissue injury. Pickens is a WR2 with Lamb active and a surefire WR1 with Lamb out.
  • DAL Running Back #33
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    Javonte Williams rushed 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers, adding 17 yards on two receptions.

    Williams has now averaged 3.8 yards per carry or fewer in four of five games, keeping his fantasy value afloat via six combined touchdowns through five weeks. While the touchdown equity is solid in one of the league’s most potent offenses, we’re liable to see more down weeks like the one he put forth against the Buccaneers unless, or until, the Cowboys can fix their woes on the ground. Williams did see all but one running back opportunity in this one, keeping him in the top six in backfield opportunity rate through Week 5. Consider Williams a volume-aided and touchdown-aided RB2 ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the reeling Packers.
  • DAL Quarterback #4
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    Dak Prescott completed 24-of-42 passes for 316 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in the Cowboys’ 24-16, Week 5 loss to the Buccaneers.

    The two interceptions on Dak’s ledger were both in-and-out of his receivers’ hands, the second of which hit tight end Jake Ferguson in the face mask to allow the Buccaneers to ice the game in the fourth quarter. The first “pick” bounced off the hands of Ryan Flournoy to allow the Buccaneers to establish an 11-point lead at the beginning of the third quarter, a deficit the Cowboys would be unable to overcome. That said, Prescott wasn’t at all at his sharpest, missing numerous throws wide in addition to a few badly under-thrown balls in the second half. To make matters worse, alpha wide receiver CeeDee Lamb departed the game in the fourth quarter with a quad injury. The Cowboys fall to 2-3 and find themselves looking up at both the Giants and Eagles ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Packers at Lambeau. Prescott returns to QB1 status in what has become a soft matchup, pending the health of Lamb.
  • TB Wide Receiver #17
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    Ted Hurst was not targeted in the Buccaneers’ Week 5 win over the Cowboys.

    Hurst has seen his role eaten into by downfield threat Tez Johnson as the season has progressed, clearly not yet ready to take on a full workload in the offense as he enters the second month of his rookie season. Hurst brings the size and physicality to grow into a consistent producer at the NFL level, something fantasy managers could have to be patient with in the coming weeks. Hurst safely remains a bench stash ahead of a Week 6 meeting with the Steelers.