Who Should I Start? DeVonta Smith or James Cook

Tuesday, August 19, 11:41 AM

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (groin) will not practice on Tuesday, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The severity of Smith's injury is unclear, but it's a potentially worrying sign for Philadelphia, given that they are also currently without star wideout A.J. Brown (hamstring). The Eagles made a trade to acquire wide receiver John Metchie III from the Houston Texans on Monday, which could indicate that the team is at least somewhat concerned about its depth at the position. If Smith and/or Brown were to miss time, Metchie III and Jahan Dotson would likely be heavily relied upon. Assuming Smith's groin injury is minor, he profiles as a high-end WR3 whose value would skyrocket if Brown were to remain sidelined for a significant stretch.

Wednesday, August 13, 9:13 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is officially back in the fold after signing a four-year contract extension with his team on Wednesday. Soon after the signing was announced, Buffalo GM Brandon Beane told reporters that he views Cook as a three-down back. Beane said, "We do feel he can take more, but we like to use our three options and keep him fresh." Cook often lost passing-down work to Ty Johnson last season and only played on 48% of Buffalo's offensive snaps. It is unlikely that Buffalo installs Cook as their workhorse, as their running game was effective in 2024, but it would be a positive for fantasy managers if the Bills shifted some of the targets in the passing game onto Cook's plate. Either way, he sets up as a solid RB2 in fantasy with an RB1 ceiling if he starts catching more passes.