Rico Dowdle vs Tyrone Tracy: Who Should You Start?
Rico Dowdle and Tyrone Tracy 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 Tyrone Tracy posted 9.5 PPG in 15 appearances for the New York Giants.
A 2.1-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; Tyrone Tracy posted 740 and 2. 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 Tyrone Tracy rests in Week 11. 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.
