The Dallas Cowboys were dominated by the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. During that matchup and throughout the season, a debate is tearing through fantasy football managers everywhere.
The discussion centers around who should be the running back you start: Ezekiel Elliott or Rico Dowdle.
Neither Elliot nor Dowdle has run away with the job in Dallas, and we have been waiting for the correct information to cross our eyes and show us the way.
Let’s break down the key insights to help you decide which Cowboys running back is the proper play for your fantasy team in Week 3.
Should You Start Ezekiel Elliott or Rico Dowdle in Week 3?
In Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Elliott is the player to start. This projection states that Elliott will have 36.8 rushing yards and 9.8 receiving yards to help elevate him over Dowdle’s 7.1 total fantasy point projection.
However, when you isolate my rankings, I see Dowdle outperforming Elliott due to his youth and explosive ability eventually breaking through in the Cowboys’ offensive scheme.
Cowboys RB's through two weeks:
Ezekiel Elliott- 16-56-1 TD (3.5 ypc 0.9 yac 0 brktkl)
Rico Dowdle – 15-56- 0 TD (3.7 ypc 0.9 yac 0 brktkl)
Deuce Vaughn- 5-15-0 TD (3.0 ypc 0.4 yac 0 brktkl)Combined- 36- 127 yards – 1 TD and 0 broken tackles. (Deuce has 4 MTF. Rico and Zeke… pic.twitter.com/uisDk518jj
— Matt Owen (@ProfessorO_NFL) September 16, 2024
Last week, Dowdle received one more carry than Elliott. And his 4.3 yards per rush last week was why he ranked higher in rushing attempts than Elliott, who only produced 2.7 yards per carry.
Dowdle also produced two more rushing attempts that resulted in first downs than Elliott, which will help the Cowboys organization begin to trust the younger running back.
Elliott’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Elliott has struggled all season to produce behind the Cowboys’ offensive line. His 3.5 yards per rush has forced the Cowboys to shy away from their veteran running back.
Elliott hasn’t helped the team move the chains either, as he has only produced three rushing attempts that have been converted for first downs.
Elliott does possess the 18th-highest yards before contact per rush in the NFL. The only issue with his total is that Dowdle is the 12th-best running back in the NFL in that same category.
The only thing Elliott has beaten Dowdle weekly in has been his yards after contact per rush. Even then, Elliott only produced a 2.13-yard mark, the 35th-highest average in the NFL.
Elliot should be considered an RB2 at best and even downgraded to a Flex play against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs in 2024.
Dowdle’s Fantasy Outlook This Week
Dowdle will also have a challenging time against the Ravens’ defense. The other issue swirls around the Cowboys’ leaning into the passing offense.
Their superstars on offense are quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. With their opponents’ ability to put points up in bunches, the Cowboys must lean into the passing game in Week 3 to keep pace.
Neither Cowboys running back will finish the week as an RB1. Still, if your team has dealt with the plethora of injuries in the NFL this year, Dowdle allows you to elevate your Flex position.