Zeke is back with the Cowboys, but he might not have control over the backfield this year like he did in his previous stint in Dallas. Cowboys beat reporter Patrik Walker says that while Zeke is regarded as the lead back, he’s fulfilling that role as part of a committee that includes a healthy dose of Rico Dowdle.
Dallas passed the ball at the tenth-highest rate last year, and that was with Tony Pollard in the fold. Now that he’s gone, the Cowboys will most likely lean even heavier into the passing game – meaning guys like Zeke and Dowdle will have to be hyper efficient or rely on touchdowns to make themselves fantasy relevant. Lucky for them, they’re part of an offense that ranked first in total points scored last year and in 2021, and fourth in total points in 2022 - all under Mike McCarthy and with Dak Prescott at QB.
Zeke is the RB40 on Underdog’s best ball ADP, while Dowdle checks in three spots lower as the overall RB43, making them both very solid fliers later in drafts. Zeke has clearly lost a step since his heyday back from 2016-2020, but the last time he was with the Cowboys he was delivered to 12 touchdowns in 2022. He’ll have plenty of utility again as a goal line hammer and short yardage specialist and could also pick up some receiving work thanks to his pass blocking ability.
Given his price relative to the role that he could play, Zeke is a zero-risk, solid reward running back that could have utility as a spot starter at RB2 or flex. As for Dowdle, he could play a Tony Pollard-esque role along with Zeke, similar to the platoon the Cowboys utilized in 2022 when both backs were perfectly usable in lineups. However, it’s unlikely that either player is able to wrestle away a majority of snaps in the backfield.