Start Rico Dowdle or Brian Robinson? Week 5

Our Week 5 call

Start Rico Dowdle over Brian Robinson in Week 5.

Market-based projections have Rico Dowdle at 8.4 points and Brian Robinson at 6.1, a gap of 2.3. Rico Dowdle's number is scaled up from a partial market: not every stat the position needs is posted yet, so the rest is estimated from what is. Market coverage on Rico Dowdle is 70 percent of what his position needs, so the market side of this carries proportionally less weight.

What the market projects

Player markets imply 8.4 fantasy points for Rico Dowdle, with 70 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market gives Rico Dowdle a 35% chance to score a touchdown (9 market sources).

Player markets imply 6.1 fantasy points for Brian Robinson, with 100 percent of the markets a RB needs posted.

The market has Brian Robinson at 35.5 rushing yards, with a 28% chance to score a touchdown (14 and 15 market sources).

That puts Rico Dowdle 2.3 points ahead of Brian Robinson on the market projections.

Injury status

Rico Dowdle is listed as questionable with a toe injury.

Brian Robinson is not on the injury report.

Usage before Week 5

Through Week 2, Rico Dowdle played 42 percent of PIT snaps, took 37 percent of the carries, drew 9 percent of the targets and had 17 percent of the red zone chances.

Rico Dowdle, Week 1 against ATL: 39 of 67 snaps, 8 carries for 15 yards, 5 targets and 2 catches for 6 yards.

Rico Dowdle, Week 2 against NE: 18 of 70 snaps, 7 carries for 22 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 22 yards.

Through Week 4, Brian Robinson played 35 percent of ATL snaps, took 33 percent of the carries, drew 3 percent of the targets and had 22 percent of the red zone chances.

Brian Robinson, Week 1 against PIT: 15 of 60 snaps, 9 carries for 31 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards.

Brian Robinson, Week 2 against CAR: 33 of 69 snaps, 11 carries for 51 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 16 yards.

Brian Robinson, Week 3 against GB: 19 of 71 snaps, 10 carries for 50 yards, 0 targets and 0 catches for 0 yards, 1 touchdown.

Brian Robinson, Week 4 against NO: 24 of 57 snaps, 14 carries for 62 yards, 1 target and 1 catch for 5 yards, 3 touchdowns.

Their 2025 seasons

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

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

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

Rico Dowdle, Week 18 of 2025 against TB: 27 of 51 snaps, 7 carries for 10 yards, 2 targets and 2 catches for 20 yards, 3.0 PPR points.

In 2025, Brian Robinson played 17 games for SF and scored 62.5 PPR points, 3.7 a game, finishing RB63.

He ran 92 times for 400 yards and 2 touchdowns, and caught 8 of 12 targets for 25 yards.

He was on the field for 17 percent of the offense's snaps in the games he played.

Their other Week 5 calls

• Start Rico Dowdle over Blake Corum.
• Start David Montgomery over Rico Dowdle.
• Start Rico Dowdle over George Holani.
• Start Bhayshul Tuten over Brian Robinson.
• Start Brian Robinson over Blake Corum.
• Start Bucky Irving over Brian Robinson.