Who Should I Start? Christian McCaffrey or James Cook III
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Christian McCaffrey News
Tuesday, June 23, 5:13 AM
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has become one of fantasy's greatest paradoxes. In 2025, he played in all 17 games and finished as the RB1 by a substantial margin, marking the fifth time in the last eight seasons that he's played at least 16 games, with accompanying finishes of RB1, RB1, RB2, RB1, and RB3. McCaffrey is one of the most unique weapons in the game, as dangerous aligned out wide as he is from the backfield, making him nearly impossible to remove from the field despite yearly discussions about limiting his workload. Unfortunately, his unquestioned bell cow role has come with predictable wear and tear and a number of catastrophic injuries, and three times over those eight years, he's played in seven or fewer games. McCaffrey is now 30 years old and coming off the heaviest workload of his career, handling more than 430 opportunities in 2025, and his fantasy outlook remains familiar: if he makes it through another full season, he's as strong a bet as anyone to finish as the RB1, but getting there means facing the type of physical strain that very few human beings on the planet are equipped to handle. With injury risk pitted against upside, McCaffrey is RotoBaller's RB3 for 2026.
Week 1 Projections
| Fant. Pts. |
Rush. Yds. |
Rush TD |
Rec. | Rec. Yds. |
Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
James Cook III News
Monday, July 6, 6:01 AM
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III tied for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024, and while those calling for regression ahead of the 2025 season were technically right, Cook was able to pair his 12 touchdown runs with 1,621 yards on the ground and the first rushing crown of his career. Cook has finished as the RB8 and RB6 in the past two seasons, and with Buffalo's offense remaining largely intact for 2026, there is no reason to expect any significant falloff. The largest change comes at the top, where Joe Brady will take over as head coach, though his previous promotion to offensive coordinator coincided with Cook's breakout, and no team has scored more offensive touchdowns across his two full seasons as playcaller. While the offseason trade for veteran receiver DJ Moore could allow for perennial MVP-contender Josh Allen to again throw for more than 4,000 yards, something he has not done in either of Cook's RB1 seasons, a more balanced offense could also lead to more scoring opportunities on the ground. Despite Allen scoring rushing touchdowns at a historic rate in recent years, Cook has still been one of the league's most active backs from within the five-yard line over the past two seasons, and he is RotoBaller's RB5 for 2026.
Christian McCaffrey vs. James Cook III
Still trying to decide between McCaffrey and Cook III? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Christian McCaffrey is projected to score 0.0 points this week while James Cook III is projected to score 0.0 points.
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