Who Should I Start? Ezekiel Elliott or James Cook

Friday, September 29, 10:40 PM

New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott is not a reliable fantasy option ahead of his revenge game against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. The veteran's usage has been inconsistent this season; he had just 13 yards in Week 2 but averaged 5.0 YPC on 16 rushes last Sunday. It also goes without saying that the Patriots have a tough matchup and Elliott will continue to operate as the No. 2 option behind Rhamondre Stevenson. In his return to Dallas, the 28-year-old should be viewed as a high-end fantasy RB4.

Friday, September 29, 9:09 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has presented very promising results so far this year, registering at least 16 touches in each of his three opening games. The 24-year-old's role in handling base work and the bulk of targets (13) out of the Bills backfield has lent itself to a relatively high fantasy floor. Cook's five red-zone touches still trail trusted veteran Latavius Murray (eight) in this area, which remains problematic for his ceiling. Buffalo's encouraging combination of positive game script and strong run blocking should eventually yield higher-scoring returns out of Cook, who saw some more high-value touches in Week 3 after getting zero in the season opener. With the 2022 second-rounder ranking third in rushing yards (267) on the young season, treat Cook as an RB2 with RB1 upside in Week 4 against a Miami Dolphins defense that has allowed the sixth-most ground yards to RBs (337) this year.