Steelers vs. Saints Inactives: Rico Dowdle Active in Paris
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints released their official Week 7 inactive lists before Sunday’s game at Stade de France. Pittsburgh running back Rico Dowdle and safety DeShon Elliott are active.
Information cutoff: October 25, 2026 at 8:40 a.m. Central. The official Steelers and Saints inactive lists were checked at that time. Fantasy recommendations use half PPR scoring unless stated otherwise.
Pittsburgh’s confirmed inactives are Ben Skowronek, Drew Allar, Will Howard as the designated third quarterback, Brandin Echols, Eli Heidenreich and Terell Smith.
New Orleans’ confirmed inactives are Zach Wilson as the designated third quarterback, Mike Reid, Cesar Ruiz, Treyton Welch, Nathan Shepherd, John Ridgeway III and Tyree Wilson.
What Pittsburgh’s active list means
Dowdle returned in Week 6 after missing time and handled seven carries for 40 yards while catching three passes for nine yards. That 49-yard performance came on 10 touches and showed he can provide a useful change of pace, but it did not displace Warren as Pittsburgh’s lead option.
Through three appearances this season, Dowdle has 22 carries for 77 yards plus seven receptions for 37 yards. His 3.5 yards per carry is modest, but his seven catches give him at least some path to half-PPR value when Pittsburgh uses him on passing downs.
Dowdle fantasy consequence
Dowdle is best treated as a low-end RB3 or emergency flex in deeper leagues. Being active removes the zero-point risk attached to an inactive designation, but it does not guarantee a larger workload. Warren remains the better start because he owns the lead role and the stronger receiving profile.
Managers who were waiting on Dowdle can keep him active only if the alternatives are committee backs or touchdown-dependent reserves. In standard 10- or 12-team leagues, he belongs on the bench unless bye weeks or injuries have created a thin lineup. His more valuable role remains as a Warren handcuff with standalone depth value.
Early game checkpoints
Pittsburgh now enters the Paris matchup with both Dowdle and Warren available, so fantasy managers should expect the same basic hierarchy seen in Week 6: Warren first, Dowdle second. The clearest postgame signal will be whether Dowdle’s touch total rises from 10 and whether he retains meaningful passing-game work.
The strongest counterargument is that an active designation does not guarantee a normal workload. Dowdle’s backfield share and Elliott’s defensive snap count still depend on the game plan and how each player responds in live action.
The next checkpoint is early game deployment, followed by official postgame snap counts and participation data. Those will show whether either returning player handled a full role.
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