Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, Royce Freeman - 2024 Fantasy Football Running Back Outlooks

The Dallas Cowboys had a relatively quiet offseason and didn't make many moves in free agency. But they did somewhat address their running back room after losing Tony Pollard in March. With Pollard's departure, Dallas signed two veterans, Ezekiel Elliott and Royce Freeman. 

Elliott and Freeman will now join Rico Dowdle in Dallas' backfield for the 2024 season. While this Cowboys running back group isn't as strong as in previous years, one of these backs will be the team's RB1 this year. 

So, let's take a look at fantasy football outlooks for Elliott, Dowdle, and Freeman in 2024. 

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Ezekiel Elliott 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Elliott is back with the Cowboys after spending the 2023 season with the New England Patriots. The veteran is coming off the worst season of his career, rushing for 642 yards and two touchdowns. However, most of that was due to his backup role in New England's offense. Still, his 3.5 yards per carry and 955 yards from scrimmage were both a career-low for the former Pro Bowl running back. 

Tony Pollard had 60 red-zone carries, 2nd to only Christian McCaffrey.

Rico Dowdle had only 15 (T-54th).

The Cowboys brought Ezekiel Elliott back.

Zeke is well past his prime, but he's still good in short-yardage.

Expect him to dominate red-zone touches for the Cowboys.

— Frank Ammirante (@FAmmiranteTFJ) July 31, 2024

As a result, it would be hard to believe that Elliott can reach that 1,000-yard rushing mark again in 2024. But he can be a sneaky option later in drafts due to his touchdown upside. He should be the primary short-yardage and goal-line back for Dallas this upcoming season, a role he has thrived in over his career. The 29-year-old has rushed for double-digit touchdowns in three of his past four seasons with the Cowboys. His potential to reach 10-plus scores in 2024 makes him an appealing option after the 10th round. 

Rico Dowdle 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Dowdle didn't see much of a role in his first three years in the league. The South Carolina product went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft and spent time on the team's practice squad before starting the 2023 season as the Cowboys' RB2. The young running back then went on to show his potential by totaling 505 yards and four touchdowns last year. 

TD Rico and the crowd goes wild pic.twitter.com/ZsycESZ8IY

— Jeff Cavanaugh (@timeforjeffrey) July 31, 2024

Now, Dowdle is in prime position to build off that campaign after Pollard left in free agency. The 26-year-old should see plenty of opportunities on offense in 2024 and could eventually emerge as the team's RB1. He is somewhat of a wild card because we don't know how Dallas will use him this year. He definitely won't see many touchdown opportunities with Elliott in town. Nonetheless, he does have some fantasy upside in this offense, making him a possible dart throw in the later round of fantasy drafts.

Royce Freeman 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Freeman is an interesting case entering the season because it doesn't seem like he will be involved in Dallas' offense in 2024. Elliott and Dowdle are the favorites to see most, if not all, of the running back touches this upcoming season. However, the Cowboys have been impressed with the 28-year-old in training camp so far.

Cowboys executive Stephen Jones said earlier this week that Freeman is "a great 2-3 combination in terms of what he can do as a backup." While Jones' comments suggest that the veteran won't be in line for the starting role, he could find himself with more opportunities if he continues to impress. Nevertheless, he still likely isn't worth a late-round pick in most fantasy drafts this summer. 

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