Who Should I Start? J.K. Dobbins or James Cook

Saturday, August 16, 11:27 PM

Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins could be in line to earn the starting running back job ahead of Week 1. Head coach Sean Payton said that the Broncos' starters would not play in their second preseason game. R.J. Harvey and Jaleel McLaughlin both played, while Dobbins suited up but did not see the field. Assuming Payton's declaration about his starters was accurate, Dobbins would be in line to start Week 1. Despite the Broncos drafting Harvey in the second round, we shouldn't be too shocked that the job is Dobbins' to lose. Denver specifically went out and signed him in early June, giving him a $5.25 million contract that was likely reflective of his expected role in the offense. The veteran running back exceeded expectations last year with the Los Angeles Chargers, totaling 1,058 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns through 13 games. He was the overall RB23 in half-PPR leagues despite missing four contests, and he ranked 17th in fantasy points on a per-game basis. With Denver's offense expected to be productive and consistently operate with a positive game script this year, Dobbins should continue to deliver results for fantasy managers. Harvey does pose a threat to steal touches, but the 26-year-old remains a strong fantasy option. He enters the year as a mid-range RB3/FLEX play.

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.