Who Should I Start? Isiah Pacheco or James Cook

Tuesday, December 23, 9:20 AM

Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco took back over as the lead back for the Chiefs this week, stepping in ahead of veteran Kareem Hunt and taking eight carries for 34 yards while adding six catches for 41 yards in the team's loss to the Titans last week. Pacheco could be in for a heavy workload moving forward, since the team could phase out Hunt now that the playoffs are no longer a possibility. The team could take the next two weeks to evaluate Pacheco and rookie Brashard Smith for their future roles, but Pacheco is in a brutal matchup this week against the Broncos, who have been elite against the run. Pacheco does have touchdown-dependent upside and should get a good workload, but he's still a long-shot flex play to add off the waiver wire this week due to the matchup.

Sunday, December 21, 5:54 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had 16 carries, 117 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns. He also converted two targets into one catch for 17 receiving yards. Cook's quest for the NFL rushing title continued against a Browns defense that has been absolutely ripped apart by opposing running backs over the last three weeks. Buffalo's primary ball-carrier now has 14 touchdowns and over 1,800 scrimmage yards on the year, including five trips to the end zone in his last two games. Preseason concerns that Cook was due for regression have been completely unfounded, as he remains one of the top fantasy running backs while continuing to play a massive role around the goal line. He's a very strong RB1 option with a high ceiling heading into Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles.