Who Should I Start? James Cook or Bucky Irving

Saturday, August 9, 5:56 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is "not willing to play" as he continues to seek a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills. Cook is currently participating in a "hold-in" during the team's practices. He did not participate during their opening preseason game on Saturday afternoon. While the 25-year-old was present and participated during the team's early practice sessions in the offseason, this past week, he has opted not to participate as he seeks an extension. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status in case this holdout continues to extend into the final weeks of the preseason. Last season, Cook enjoyed a career year as he found the back of the end zone 18 times, including 16 times on the ground. He also racked up over 1,000 yards on the ground for the second-straight campaign. While Cook continues to remain sidelined, fantasy managers should expect Ray Davis and Ty Johnson to serve as the top options in the backfield.

Monday, August 4, 1:31 PM

ESPN's Dan Graziano writes that he is trying to take Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving pretty early in fantasy drafts. Graziano explains that the Bucs love Irving, and while they also have a role planned for Rachaad White, Irving is "viewed by people in the building as special enough to warrant a high-volume RB1 role." "His vision," quarterback Baker Mayfield said. "His timing of when he's supposed to hit the gas. He's patient, patient and then hits it. I just think he's always looking to score. It's tough to see in practice. Like, last year at this time I was like, 'Eh. We'll see. It looks good.' But didn't expect it to be like it was. He's just tough to bring down. He's strong, he's got great vision, he understands it, and then also you add in the ability to catch too. He's well-rounded." The 22-year-old had a 1,000-yard season with eight touchdowns in his rookie campaign and should be heavily involved in the passing attack, too, making him a low-end RB1 target in fantasy in 2025.