Who Should I Start? Derrick Henry or James Cook

Monday, September 8, 9:47 AM

Baltimore Ravens All-Pro running back Derrick Henry was absolutely dominant on Sunday in the Ravens' 41-40 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football. Henry rushed for 169 yards on 18 carries and added one reception for 13 yards. His two touchdown scores were from 30 yards out in the second quarter and 46 yards out in the fourth quarter. Henry also suffered the lowlight of Sunday's contest when he coughed up a fumble on Baltimore's second-to-last drive, allowing the Bills to score a touchdown with just under two minutes remaining to close the gap to 40-38. Most importantly for fantasy managers, the 31-year-old showed zero signs of slowing down or falling off because of his age, and he conceded three total carries to fellow running backs Justice Hill and Rasheen Ali. Wide receiver Zay Flowers had a few end-arounds, and Lamar Jackson attempted six rushes, but nothing threatening towards Henry's workload is a positive sign for fantasy managers. Up next is a date with the Cleveland Browns, who looked good defensively in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry will remain an RB1 heading into Week 2.

Friday, September 5, 1:23 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he unexpectedly tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns after tallying just two in the previous season. He also surpassed 1,000 yards on the ground for the second year in a row, but fantasy managers may have to temper expectations in Week 1. Cook is set to battle the Baltimore Ravens, who boasted the league's top-ranked run defense last season, when the teams kick off Sunday. The Ravens held opposing rushers to a paltry 3.6 yards per carry - a far cry from Cook's 4.9 YPC. Cook faced the Ravens twice in 2024 and combined for 106 yards on 26 carries, four catches for another 24 yards, and zero scores. The explosive 25-year-old enters 2025 as a high-end RB2 in fantasy, but with the Ravens standing in his way, Cook may not storm out of the gates in the opener.