Who Should I Start? A.J. Dillon or James Cook

Sunday, July 13, 8:38 PM

According to Geoff Mosher of the Philly Voice, Philadelphia Eagles running back AJ Dillon (neck) isn't a lock to make the team's 53-man roster. Saquon Barkley had an MVP-caliber year in 2024, and he is expected to continue handling the bulk of the snaps out of the backfield. With Kenneth Gainwell signing with the Steelers during the offseason, the Eagles had a void to fill behind Barkley. Most assumed that Dillon, who inked an agreement with Philly in March, would automatically occupy the No. 2 spot this season. However, that may not be the case, with Mosher mentioning the ascension of Will Shipley after strong showings during OTAs. There are still some things Shipley needs to improve, specifically, his size and strength. All things considered, Barkley should leave little room for anyone else to get involved from a fantasy standpoint, so Dillon and Shipley should only draw draft consideration for insurance purposes. Still, as of now, it appears it is Dillon's job to lose, although he may need to step it up throughout training camp. The 27-year-old appeared in 60 regular-season contests for the Packers, amassing 2,428 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 86 catches for 763 yards and two touchdowns. Unfortunately, Dillon missed all of last season due to a neck injury, which will be another thing to monitor this summer.

Saturday, June 14, 11:05 AM

ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg writes that Buffalo Bills running back James Cook, despite seeking a contract extension, was a full participant in the team's three-day mandatory minicamp this week. General manager Brandon Beane said the "relationship's very good and I know [Cook's] going to be ready to roll when we get to [training camp in] Rochester." Cook said earlier this week that he plans to be at training camp this summer, but he didn't specify if he'd actually be taking part in workouts. Beane said Cook "looks good out there. You can tell he's been working." It sounds like the two sides are working towards a deal, but Cook could hold in during training camp. Cook was the RB8 in half-PPR scoring in 2024 with his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season and a league-high 16 rushing TDs. Regression is coming in the TD department after he scored four rushing touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons.