Puka Nacua or Rico Dowdle: who should I start in Week 3?

Where the draft room stands

Drafters have formed no consensus on Puka Nacua: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 162nd overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 5.

Drafters have formed no consensus on Rico Dowdle: he carries no ADP, and the board ranks him 165th overall on the rest of his evidence.

In 2QB drafts he goes at ADP 96.

What the sportsbooks price

The books have Puka Nacua at 3.2 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 book. That is 30 percent of what a wide receiver's price needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

The books have Rico Dowdle at 2.3 PPR points a game off 1 market across 1 book. That is 30 percent of what a running back's price needs, so it is a fragment of one rather than a projection.

Puka Nacua's price is not complete, so the two figures are not set against each other here.

This season so far

Through Week 1, Puka Nacua has been on the field for 70 percent of LAR snaps, drawn 33 percent of the targets and had 11 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 4 of the offence's 7 third down targets, had 1 of its 4 chances inside the five and seen 0 of its 2 two minute targets.

His 9 targets have averaged 12.8 air yards.

In Week 1 against SF he caught 5 of 9 targets for 74 yards and did not score.

Through Week 2, Rico Dowdle has been on the field for 42 percent of PIT snaps, taken 37 percent of the carries, drawn 9 percent of the targets and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

He has taken 1 of the offence's 18 third down targets and seen 0 of its 9 two minute targets.

His 7 targets have averaged 0.9 air yards.

In Week 1 against ATL he carried 8 times for 15 yards, caught 2 of 5 targets for 6 yards and did not score.

In Week 2 against NE he carried 7 times for 22 yards, caught 2 of 2 targets for 22 yards and did not score.

Their 2025 seasons

In 2025 Puka Nacua played 16 games and scored 375.0 PPR points, 23.4 a game, finishing WR1.

He caught 129 of 166 targets for 1715 yards and 10 touchdowns, with 16 red zone targets.

That came to 10.4 targets a game, a 78 percent catch rate and 13.3 yards a catch.

He was on the field for 68 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

In 2025 Rico Dowdle played 17 games and scored 216.3 PPR points, 12.7 a game, finishing RB18.

He carried 236 times for 1076 yards and 6 touchdowns, and caught 39 of 50 targets for 297 more yards.

That came to 13.9 carries a game at 4.6 yards a carry and 2.3 catches a game.

He was on the field for 56 percent of the snaps in the games he played.

Rico Dowdle was available for 1 game more.

Side by side

In 2025 Puka Nacua scored 23.4 PPR points a game and Rico Dowdle 12.7, 10.7 a game between them.

Puka Nacua finished WR1 and Rico Dowdle RB18, which are two different ladders.

Puka Nacua is a wide receiver and Rico Dowdle a running back, so the question is which slot you fill first rather than which of them is better.

Byes and availability

Puka Nacua is off in Week 11 and Rico Dowdle in Week 9, so either can cover the other's bye.

Puka Nacua is listed as doubtful on the injury report.

Rico Dowdle is listed as out on the injury report.