Who Should I Start? Alexander Mattison or James Cook

Sunday, January 5, 10:03 PM

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison rushed for 20 yards on six carries during Sunday's Week 18 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. He also caught four of his five targets for an additional 11 yards through the air. It appeared that Mattison was headed for an increased workload on Sunday with Ameer Abdullah (foot) sidelined, but instead, the Raiders somewhat abandoned the rushing attack. Vegas' running backs combined for just eight carries, and quarterback Aidan O'Connell added four rushes of his own. Mattison may have salvaged his performance in PPR leagues, but for the most part, his showing on Sunday left a lot to be desired. The 26-year-old will hit free agency in a few months, leaving the Raiders with some combination of Sincere McCormick, Zamir White, Dylan Laube, and Chris Collier. Las Vegas has numerous holes on both sides of the ball, but don't be surprised if they look to improve their backfield with draft picks, free agency spending, or both.

Sunday, January 12, 5:57 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook carried the ball 23 times for 120 yards and a touchdown in the team's 31-7 victory over the Denver Broncos in the first round of the playoffs. The Bills attacked Denver's run defense early and often. Cook picked up 62 yards and his score on the team's first two drives. Cook's 23 carries were a season-high mark for rush attempts and touches. Unfortunately, he wasn't involved, or needed, in the passing game (zero targets). A matchup against one of the league's top run defenses (Baltimore) is next for Cook and the Buffalo Bills.