Rico

Dowdle

As the Panthers head into their bye week, Canales said he “likes” the backfield balance the team struck in Week 13’s upset of the Rams, when Dowdle saw 18 rushes to 17 carries for Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard, fully recovered from a calf injury, ran 15 pass routes against LA — catching a touchdown on two grabs — while Dowdle logged six routes and caught both of his targets. “Some of it was third-down opportunities. We’ve been using Chuba primarily as our third-down back, and then he gets series as we go,” Canales said. With his pass game involvement reduced to almost nothing, Dowdle will be a low-ceiling, touchdown-dependent RB3 when the Panthers return from bye in Week 15. Hubbard, meanwhile, will have some value in deeper PPR formats.

After seeing the lions’ share of the touches in four of the last five weeks, Dowdle found himself in a near 50/50 split with Chuba Hubbard this week. His 18 carries were only one more than Hubbard’s 17, but Hubbard got the best of him through the air, thanks in part to a 35-yard receiving touchdown. A neutral game script coupled with a rainy second-half paved the way for both Dowdle and Hubbard to see multiple touches this week, but this good be a peek into what’s to come for the Panthers’ backfield when they return from their Week 14 bye. Anything remotely close to a 50/50 split will undoubtedly hurt Dowdle’s upside and could make him more of a touchdown-dependent play. That said, he’ll have some RB2 juice in Week 15 against the Saints.

Dowdle’s yardage totals led the team in both rushing and receiving on a night the team managed just 72 yards of total offense in the first half, with the consistently negative game script holding him to just 10 opportunities. Dave Canales’ offense has been hyper-focused on the run game in recent weeks, but this showing halted that momentum ahead of a difficult matchup against the Rams in Week 13. Dowdle remains a fantasy RB2, albeit one with a shaky, matchup-induced floor.

Dowdle nearly scored the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Dave Canales dialed up a perfectly-timed screen for his top back and Dowdle eluded defenders en route to a 38-yard score. Officials determined that he stepped out at the 10-yard line and called the touchdown back. The Panthers would still go on to score a few plays later. Dowdle only ceded four carries and one catch to Chuba Hubbard. As the workhorse back on a surprisingly lively offense, Dowdle will remain in the RB1 ranks for Week 12 against the 49ers.

Dowdle was upgraded from a limited participant to a full participant in Friday’s practice and was removed from the injury report as a result. The Panthers’ RB1 gets a juicy matchup against a Falcons run defense that ranks in the bottom five in total rushing yards allowed and yards per carry this season. Dowdle is firmly in the RB1 ranks for Week 11.

It’s the same pattern the Panthers used with Dowdle last week, with an off-day on Wednesday and a limited session on Thursday. It would be surprising if Dowdle wasn’t cleared off the injury report tomorrow.

Dowdle got Wednesday off last week as well. He was cleared from the injury report on Friday. The Panthers loaded him up with touches in Week 10. Dowdle ran 18 times for 53 yards and a touchdown. He also caught three passes for 10 yards. His DNP today is likely nothing to worry about. Assuming he suits up in Week 11, Dowdle will remain in the RB1 ranks.

Dowdle was once again the primary ballcarrier for the Panthers in Week 10. The 27-year-old running back had 18 carries to Chuba Hubbard’s three and three targets to Hubbard’s one. After scoring his fifth touchdown of the season on the Panthers’ first drive, it was mostly tough sledding for Dowdle for the rest of the game. Still, he’s established himself as an almost matchup-proof RB1 going into Week 11 against the Falcons.

Dowdle was upgraded to a full-participant in Friday’s practice and will be good to go against the Saints. The Panthers’ RB1 continues to produce for fantasy managers, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries last week while maintaining his bell cow role over Chuba Hubbard. Dowdle will be in the RB1 conversation in Week 10 against the Saints and is a must-start in all formats.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales told reporters on Wednesday that the team is trying to be smart about Dowdle’s injury. While this is a positive, it would be nice to see Dowdle upgrade to full participation on Friday. The Panthers’ new No. 1 running back visibly played through the pain last week. He will undoubtedly do so again, if he is capable of it, but this is worth watching.