It’s kind of wild how quickly things can change and shift in the NFL landscape, especially when it comes to running backs.
At the beginning of September, RB Breece Hall was in for a major workload with the New York Jets, while RB Rico Dowdle was a complete afterthought as RB Chuba Hubbard’s backup with the Carolina Panthers.
Fast forward to now, Hall has struggled at times to translate his workload into fantasy points, while Dowdle took advantage of Hubbard’s recent injury to post back-to-back weeks of 200+ scrimmage yards and is now the 1A in Carolina in a backfield share with Chuba Hubbard.
If you have both running backs on your fantasy roster, which one should you start? Let’s take a look at this Week 8 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em battle for your RB position. For more Start 'Em, Sit 'Em questions for every position, check out our full Week 8 list here.
NFL Week 8: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em – Rico Dowdle or Breece Hall?
We’ll take a look at the case to start both of these running backs by using statistics and matchup analysis for Week 8. Once we do that, head over to PrizePicks and pick More or Less on their stat projections to win some real money.
Why Start Rico Dowdle?
Let’s put things into perspective here. Dowdle has played a grand total of two games as the “starting” running back, three if you count Week 7 where he and Hubbard split time. Despite that, Dowdle ranks:
- 3rd in rushing yards (551)
- 9th in rushing first downs (26)
- 8th in 20+ yard carries (3)
- 2nd in Rush EPA
- 3rd in Explosive Rush Rate
Quite simply, Dowdle has been a massive engine for this Panthers team that has won three straight games and now sits just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South.
Is it a coincidence that they haven’t lost since Dowdle started in the workhorse role?
Rico Dowdle Stat Projections vs. Bills for Week 8
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- 11.5 attempts
- 48.5 rush yards
- 12.5 yards longest rush
- 0.5 Rush-+Rec TD (Demon)
Why Start Breece Hall?
Despite Hall starting the 2025 NFL season with a much clearer picture than Dowdle when it came to projecting his workload, things have gotten even clearer since.
In Week 4, RB Braelon Allen, Hall’s primary backup, went down with a significant knee injury, landing him on IR for an extended period and leaving Hall without a proven backup.
Since then, Hall has averaged 18 touches and 94 scrimmage yards per game. The Jets rely on him a ton, especially since WR Garrett Wilson has been out for the last couple of games as well, and might miss a few more upcoming after missing Wednesday's practice.
Breece Hall Stat Projections vs. Bills for Week 8
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- 68.5 Rush Yards
- 25.5 Receiving Yards
- 0.5 Rush+Rec TDs
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Verdict: Start Rico Dowdle
While volume is the cure to most ills in fantasy football land, sometimes a bad offense is too much to overcome.
Despite Hall garnering all of the touches that he has on a weekly basis, he has failed to score a single touchdown so far this season and, well, the Jets offense doesn’t appear to be getting better anytime soon.
While a favorable matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals — fourth in Defensive Rushing DVOA per FTN Statshub) awaits the Jets in Week 8, will it be enough to get Hall going in the touchdown department?
The Panthers, despite having offensive issues of their own, are much setup much better for Dowdle to continue having strong ground performances. They currently rank third in the last three weeks in Rushing Success Rate, per RBSDM, and get the Buffalo Bills this week, who are the worst team vs. the run this season.
Who comes out on top for this Week 8 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em battle between Dowdle and Hall? You can make your choice on PrizePicks player picks game.
When you play on PrizePicks NFL DFS, you can turn your knowledge into real-money wins. Pick your players — whether it's Dowdle or Hall, predict More or Less on their projections, and submit your Lineup for a shot at cash.
For season-long DFS strategy, player insights, and expert analysis, PrizePicks and the Playbook are your best resources.
