Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne or James Cook

Thursday, May 23, 6:23 PM

For the second straight season, the Jacksonville Jaguars plan to ease running back Travis Etienne Jr.'s workload in 2024. Despite similar plans last year, Etienne actually had a bigger workload in 2023 than he did in 2022, and head coach Doug Pederson doesn't want to repeat that. "We talked about this as a staff and myself, making sure Tank Bigsby gets opportunities to get out there and take some of the pounding off of Travis," head coach Doug Pederson said. Etienne took over as the top back in 2022 by mid-October and accounted for 61% of the RB carries and 60% of the RB touches. Last year, he had 75% of the RB carries and 76% of the RB touches. Bigsby never quite earned the trust of the coaches for a bigger role in 2023, but that figures to change this year. Etienne missed his rookie year with a Lisfranc foot injury but has since established himself as a top back in the NFL. However, his ceiling as an RB1 in fantasy in 2024 could be tough to come by.

Thursday, May 9, 2:20 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook bounced back from being benched last year and enters his third season in the NFL in 2024 as the unquestioned lead back with a giant gap between him and either Ty Johnson or rookie Ray Davis. Cook should continue to push toward some of the heaviest involvement the Bills have seen in recent years out of their top back. Johnson's game is similar to Cook's, so he'll likely have a game-day role when Cook needs a breather. The Bills are hoping Davis can add power and short-yardage ability, something the team has been wanting to add for years to the backfield. The 24-year-old Cook had a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023 but added just two rushing TDs. What Cook lacks in scoring opportunities, he could make up for with his pass-catching abilities and sheer volume in 2024.