Who Should I Start? James Cook or Jacory Croskey-Merritt


Week 1 Projections

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0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

James Cook News

James Cook a Strong RB1 in Fantasy Coming Off Career Year

Wednesday, March 18, 3:05 PM

The Buffalo Bills are in win-now mode, and running back James Cook is one of their primary weapons on offense behind Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen. Cook made his third straight Pro Bowl in 2025 in his fourth year in the NFL and had a career year, leading the league in rushing yardage (1,621) with 12 rushing touchdowns on a career-high 309 carries in 17 regular-season starts. The 26-year-old led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024 and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The former second-round pick in 2022 out of Georgia finished as the RB5 in half-PPR scoring in 2025, behind only Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs. In addition to his big numbers on the ground, Cook added 33 receptions for 291 yards and another two touchdowns through the air. Cook will go into the 2026 campaign as the clear workhorse for a Bills' offense that led the league with 159.6 rushing yards per game last year. He'll give fantasy managers a strong floor as a high-end RB1 this fall.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Jacory Croskey-Merritt News

Can Jacory Croskey-Merritt Emerge as the Clear RB1 in Washington?

Saturday, March 28, 10:50 AM

Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt had a bit of a rollercoaster campaign as a rookie in 2025, finishing the year with 873 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns on 184 touches across 17 games (seven starts). Croskey-Merritt recorded four touchdowns across his first five NFL games, but then cracked 40 rushing yards just once across eight contests between Week 6 and Week 14. Still, Croskey-Merritt closed the year on a tear, recording 255 rushing yards and four scores over the season's final four weeks. Heading into 2026, the 24-year-old should have a chance to emerge as Washington's RB1. However, the Commanders also added veteran backs Rachaad White and Jerome Ford in free agency. At the very least, White and Ford are trusted third-down backs who will prevent Croskey-Merritt from seeing much receiving work in his second NFL season. Croskey-Merritt's clear upside as a rusher provides him with long-term upside for dynasty managers, but it does not appear as though Washington is ready to fully hand him the keys to its backfield in 2026.


James Cook vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Still trying to decide between Cook and Croskey-Merritt? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that James Cook is projected to score 0.0 points this week while Jacory Croskey-Merritt is projected to score 0.0 points.