With fantasy drafts officially wrapping up this past weekend in preparation for Thursday’s kickoff, fantasy managers can look to grab Dowdle as both RB depth and a potential desperate flex play moving forward as the most vital running back on the Cowboys offense. Dowdle was solid in very limited work last year behind Tony Pollard, and with the Cowboys only bringing in two aged veterans in Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook, things seem to be shaping up nicely for Dowdle to be the most well-rounded back in Dallas. The lack of quality competition in the backfield has allowed Dowdle to be ‘the most explosive back’ this offseason and through training camp, per The Athletic’s Todd Archer. The Cowboys are likely to be one of the most pass-heavy offenses in the league between their questionable RB room and heavy investment in No. 1 WR Ceedee Lamb, so fantasy managers shouldn’t draft Dowdle in anticipation of a solid weekly floor (or in having him in their lineup every week, ideally). However, the upside for Dowdle comes from his potential to return on investment at his very inexpensive price in drafts, even if it’s at an RB2 ceiling in a Cowboys offense expected to do plenty of scoring in 2024.