Who Should I Start? James Cook or Isaac Guerendo

Wednesday, September 17, 1:33 PM

After a stellar performance in a Week 2 win over the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook will take on one of the NFL's lowest-ranked run defenses on Thursday. Cook will match up against the division-rival Miami Dolphins, who have surrendered the eighth-most rushing yards per game (139.0) and the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs through two weeks. New England Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson had his way with the Dolphins last Sunday, as he piled up 142 total yards (54 rushing, 88 receiving) on 16 touches. Cook ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards (176) and has already found the end zone three times on the ground through two games. While Cook may have trouble matching last week's production (21 carries, 132 yards, two TDs), especially if he gets a lighter workload on a short week, he profiles as an RB1 going into Thursday.

Wednesday, September 17, 12:37 PM

San Francisco 49ers running back Isaac Guerendo entered the 2025 season as a prime handcuff for fantasy managers who were looking to score Christian McCaffrey at a discount early in drafts. However, Guerendo's fantasy value took a massive hit when the Niners acquired Brian Robinson Jr. from the Washington Commanders. B-Rob has been McCaffrey's backup through two weeks, relegating Guerendo to a distant RB3 role. In the Week 2 win over the New Orleans Saints, the 25-year-old didn't play a single snap on offense, with all 17 of his snaps coming on special teams. Guerendo averaged a healthy 5.0 yards per carry on 84 rushing attempts for 420 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games (three starts) as a rookie in 2024 when CMC was bothered by injuries, but currently, he's well off the fantasy radar in single-year leagues going into Week 3 against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals.