Rico Dowdle Week 4 Outlook - Cowboys at Giants

By Derek Brown (FantasyPros), Thu, Sep 26th 2024, 1:05pm EDT

Dowdle led the Dallas backfield last week in snaps, routes, targets, and carries. Dallas utilized fullback Hunter Luepke more in the passing game, while Ezekiel Elliott became a distant memory. Dowdle played 46% of the snaps, rolling up 11 touches with 56 total yards. Dowdle led the group with a 60% snap rate on rushing plays and a 43% snap rate in the red zone. Dowdle is slowly taking over the backfield as Dallas realizes that Elliott has little to offer at this stage of his career. It's a small sample, but Dowdle hasn't been efficient with his early down work. Among 49 qualifying backs, he sadly ranks 46th in missed tackles forced per attempt, 32nd in yards after contact per attempt, and hasn't managed an explosive run yet. He still remains the best option among meh options for the team. This could be his breakout game of the season in Week 4 if the team commits to him finally. The Giants run defense is a magical elixir for backs, allowing the eighth-highest explosive run rate and the highest missed tackle rate and yards after contact in the NFL.