Who Should I Start? Deebo Samuel or James Cook

Friday, December 20, 11:40 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will bring the least productive five-game stretch of his career into a Week 16 matchup in Miami on Sunday. He is averaging 3.3 half-PPR points over that stretch, including a 3.4-point performance last Thursday at home versus the Los Angeles Rams. Samuel Sr. reached a low point when he dropped an important 3rd-down pass in LA territory to a chorus of boos from the home fans. He'll have better days ahead -- he's certainly a better player than this -- but at this point, Samuel Sr. is untrustable in fantasy. In addition, Miami's tough pass defense has limited fantasy receivers to the second-lowest total in the league. Perhaps Samuel Sr. sees an increase in carries, with the 49ers down to their fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-string running backs due to a deluge of injuries. It might not matter much, though, as he's only averaging 2.7 yards per carry this year with one rushing touchdown, way back in Week 1. He's projected as a WR4 this week, and most Samuel Sr. managers still in the fantasy playoffs probably benched him long ago.

Friday, December 20, 3:57 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is a must-start RB1 for this weekend's fantasy football playoffs. The 25-year-old bounced back against Detroit last week (133 yards, two touchdowns) after a disappointing affair two weeks ago in Los Angeles (29 yards). Cook takes his momentum into a home matchup against New England. The Patriots have fielded a below-average rush defense all season. The Bills are favored by 14 points, which could lead to more rushing attempts for Cook and his backfield mates, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson.