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Should I pickup Rico Dowdle or Trevor Etienne as fantasy football waiver wire pickups for Week 5 of 2025? Read our fantasy football waiver wire outlooks.
The Carolina Panthers are slated to be without top running back Chuba Hubbard (calf) this weekend. While Hubbard was able to play through this injury in Week 4, it appears he is dealing with a setback.
As a result, their No. 2 and No. 3 options are slated to take on a significant workload this weekend.
Should you pick up Rico Dowdle or Trevor Etienne ahead of Week 5? Let's dive in.
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Rico Dowdle Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Rico Dowdle enjoyed a career season in Dallas last season, totaling 1,079 yards on 2235 attempts. He was eventually signed by the Panthers in the offseason and was slated to be the team's clear No. 2 behind Hubbard.
Through four games, Dowdle has had a limited role but has seen his workload increase over the past two weeks. In Weeks 1 and 2, Dowdle combined for just nine attempts for a modest 21 yards. However, in Weeks 3 and 4, Dowdle averaged 9.5 attempts per game and combined for 62 yards and a touchdown.
He has caught at least one pass in each game and has seen six total targets.
Overall, Dowdle has logged 35% of the snaps compared to Hubbard's 64%. Given his usage, fantasy managers should view Dowdle as a top target on the waiver wire as he appears poised to take on most of the workload this weekend when the Panthers host the Dolphins.
Trevor Etienne Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Outlook
Despite adding Dowdle to the backfield, the Panthers opted to draft Etienne out of Georgia in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, given that he has played behind both Hubbard and Dowdle, his role has been relatively quiet in the first month of the NFL season.
Through Weeks 1, 2, and 3, Etienne saw just one rushing attempt and one target through the air. However, in Week 4, with the Panthers taking a tough loss to the Patriots and Hubbard being limited due to this injury, Etienne logged a season-high seven attempts. He tallied 33 yards on them and also ran a season-high three routes.
While he is poised to see a larger role this weekend, he will still cede most of the work to the proven veteran, Dowdle.
Should I Pickup Rico Dowdle or Trevor Etienne For Fantasy Football?
Given Dowdle's usage as the team's clear No.2 option this season, fantasy managers should prioritize Dowdle on the waiver wire prior to their Week 5 contest against Miami. While Etienne should see an increased role and could see nearly double-digit rushing attempts, Dowdle should command most of the work out of the backfield.
He has a prime matchup to push for RB2 upside this weekend as the Dolphins have allowed the 10th-most PPR points to opposing RBs this season. Last Monday evening, Breece Hall racked up 81 yards on just 14 attempts, and James Cook totaled 108 yards and a score on 19 attempts against them in Week 3.
Dowdle projects to carry strong RB2 upside while Etienne is worth a look as a deep-league FLEX option.
Chuba Hubbard Not Expected to Play on Sundayhttps://t.co/UERl69dq9a
— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) October 3, 2025
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