Who Should I Start? Cordarrelle Patterson or James Cook

Monday, July 28, 2:17 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released running back Cordarrelle Patterson, according to a tweet from Patterson himself on Monday morning. The 34-year-old appeared to be fifth on the team's depth chart at running back behind Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, Kenneth Gainwell, and Trey Sermon, so this news does not come as a huge surprise. Patterson appeared in 13 games for Pittsburgh in 2024, rushing for 135 yards on 32 carries and catching 12 passes for 80 yards. He also served as a kick returner, which is where Patterson has arguably made the biggest impact throughout his career. It remains to be seen whether the 12-year vet will look to catch on with another team as a gadget piece on offense and contributor on special teams, or hang up his cleats. Either way, his days as a fantasy-relevant player are in the past.

Sunday, October 26, 5:51 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed for 216 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries during Sunday's Week 8 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Cook had struggled in his two games prior to the Bills' bye week, but he returned from the hiatus with one of the best games of his career. He now has 753 rushing yards, 89 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns through seven games this year. It's safe to say that offseason speculation about Cook regressing was misguided. The 26-year-old continues to showcase elite rushing skills, as well as a tendency to score plenty of touchdowns. His ceiling might be a little lower next week in a neutral game script against the Kansas City Chiefs, but he's still a very strong RB1 option.