Courtland Sutton
vs Rico Dowdle

“Courtland Sutton is borderline droppable in shallower redraft leagues at this point. Maybe that’s a hair dramatic, but look at what he’s done thus far. He’s averaging a mere 4.1 half-PPR points per game and is averaging fewer yards per target than Jaylen Waddle , Pat Bryant and RJ Harvey .”

“Without consistent volume, Sutton will need to find a niche role as a TD-merchant to stay relevant. After back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons, it’s suddenly hard to trust Sutton as anything more than risky WR3/flex.”

“Courtland Sutton is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with Bo Nix and Sean Payton in Denver, but his production could take a step back this season.”

“The Broncos needed a second option behind Courtland Sutton in the wide receiver room. Instead, they elected to put substantial draft capital into trading for Jaylen Waddle, who arguably is their No. 1 WR moving forward. Sutton has largely kept himself fantasy-relevant through touchdowns over the last few years, with 25 over the last three seasons, the sixth-most in that period. Should Waddle eat into those opportunities, it could prove tricky for Sutton to return value at this price.”

“Sutton needs to show that sharing is caring. Denver needed another explosive option, but they still need a player who can win physically. Sutton should benefit from a better ecosystem, as Waddle can pull coverage away from him and create more space for the throws Sutton already wins on, though he may lose some raw target ceiling while the quality of his looks will improve.”

“Courtland Sutton is a sell-high candidate now that Jaylen Waddle has arrived in Denver to command the majority of target shares in Sean Payton's offense. While Sutton has been a reliable staple, he is entering his age-31 season with a bloated contract that makes him a likely cap casualty or trade piece in the near future.”

“McCarthy brought in Rico Dowdle , who played for him in Dallas for five years, which helps. But McCarthy also said he trusts both running backs in every situation: early downs, late downs, short-yardage, and pass-catching. This means we are likely looking at a true 50/50 split to start the season.”

“Pittsburgh's two-headed backfield of Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle should enjoy success, too. The Falcons ranked 21st in yards allowed before contact per rush (1.44) last year and tied for 26th in EPA allowed per designed rush.”

“, but Rico Dowdle has the opportunity to win the lion’s share of the touches. Mike McCarthy signed him as an undrafted free agent in Dallas and now brought him to Pittsburgh after another season with over 1,000 rushing yards.”

“Rounds 6-9 Targets Rico Dowdle ( PIT) : ADP 79.2 | RB 29 After having no fantasy value early in his career, Dowdle has finished as an RB2 or better in back-to-back seasons.”

“My money is on Warren as Pittsburgh’s primary running back this year, and it’s possible Dowdle has a smaller role than some expect.”

“Dowdle will have to earn his way to the field in Pittsburgh behind Jaylen Warren , though he is being drafted just about a round behind the presumed starter. If the Rico-McCarthy connection from his breakout season in Dallas is rekindled, fantasy managers may be able to get a starting RB for basically nothing in drafts.”

“Round 8: Jaylen Warren (RB – PHI) Bringing in Rico Dowdle makes me nervous, but with other loaded positions, I started to load up on running back talent that I think could get at least 50% of the carries on their team.”

“Dowdle isn't the only player reuniting with Mike McCarthy. The last time the two of them were together was in 2024, when Dowdle had a breakout season.”

“Last year, he finished as the RB16, averaging 10.4 fantasy points per game despite splitting the backfield work with Chuba Hubbard. Furthermore, Dowdle has had back-to-back top-24 finishes, including in 2024 with Mike McCarthy. Now that the duo is reunited in Pittsburgh, the veteran should have his third consecutive RB2 finish.”

“Dowdle has quietly produced back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, a level of production that often goes overlooked in fantasy discussions.”