Rico Dowdle vs Tony Pollard: Who Should You Start?
Rico Dowdle and Tony Pollard are both viable fantasy running backs heading into 2026, but their 2025 production tells two different stories. Rico Dowdle averaged 11.6 PPG across 17 games with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Tony Pollard posted 10.0 PPG in 17 appearances for the Tennessee Titans.
A 1.6-PPG gap gives Rico Dowdle the edge on paper, but paper does not account for Thursday night matchups, weather games, or a star defender returning from injury. The real question is not who was better in 2025, but who is the better start this specific week.
Both profile as early-down workhorses. Rico Dowdle ran for 1076 yards and 6 touchdowns; Tony Pollard posted 1082 and 5. Goal-line share, red zone touches, and which team is favored are usually the tiebreaker when neither back offers passing-game volume.
Rico Dowdle has his bye in Week 9, and Tony Pollard rests in Week 5. Managers rostering both need waiver wire depth at running back for those two weeks, and that is exactly the kind of planning DraftCall's matchup engine surfaces automatically so you are not scrambling on a Sunday morning.
