Who Should I Start? Dalvin Cook or Austin Ekeler

Thursday, May 23, 6:56 PM

Free-agent running back Dalvin Cook said he's "ready to roll" and would like to find a new team before training camp this summer to avoid his struggles in 2023. Cook, the former Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl RB, signed with the New York Jets in mid-August last year and never got off the ground. He had just 67 carries for 214 yards in 15 games with the Jets before ultimately landing on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad before taking part in the Divisional Round win over the Houston Texans. The 28-year-old was coming off surgery last year and looked sluggish, averaging a career-worst 3.2 yards per carry. "I feel great, man," Cook said. He should be able to latch on with a team for some veteran depth at the position in the next month or two, but at this point in his career, he's facing an uphill battle to regain any kind of fantasy relevance.

Thursday, June 27, 4:25 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler was an elite fantasy football producer for a few of his seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, but last year was disappointing for the veteran and fantasy managers. Ekeler posted 179 attempts for 628 yards and five touchdowns and caught 51 passes for 436 yards and one touchdown en route to an RB26 finish in PPR leagues. He was selected as a top-three running back in PPR formats, so it was far from ideal. However, the former undrafted free agent is confident he will bounce back in 2024. "You're going to get the best version of myself always, no matter what," Ekeler told NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. "There's been this controversy out there, like, 'Oh Austin said he doesn't want 300 carries, 'cause that's what the Chargers said.' I've never had that many carries ever. So, I don't know why everybody's in an uproar. It's not that I don't want to touch the ball. It's the way that I've had the most production is when I'm able to split between catching and running the ball. If I'm healthy, I'm going to be on the field and I'm going to be producing." The 29-year-old is slated to share the backfield with Brian Robinson this season, but as long as he maintains the clear pass-catching role out of the backfield, he should be a weekly flex option in PPR and half-PPR setups. He is usually available after the top 25 running backs are selected.