Who Should I Start? James Cook or De'Von Achane

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.

Wednesday, August 27, 4:38 PM

Miami Dolphins running back De'Von Achane (calf) was not practicing on Wednesday, according to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald. Achane has been dealing with a lingering calf injury throughout most of August. However, earlier on Wednesday, the team's general manager noted that he expects their top running back to be "ready" for their Week 1 match against the Colts. While the Dolphins could be closely monitoring his workload, seeing him continue to sit out in practice is not a positive sign. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on his status leading up to Week 1. When healthy, Achane is one of the most productive running backs in the sport. Last season, Achane enjoyed a breakout campaign totaling 907 yards on the ground and 592 through the air. If he were to miss time, rookie Ollie Gordon II would likely be bumped up the depth chart.