Who Should I Start? James Cook or Ricky Pearsall

Saturday, October 11, 1:46 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook will face one of his toughest challenges of the season when he takes on Atlanta's sixth-ranked run defense on Monday night. The Falcons have excelled at controlling time of possession and limiting offensive opportunities, though they've allowed a 44.7% scoring rate on drives, leaving the door open for Cook to find the end zone. The third-year back is averaging 107.8 scrimmage yards and one touchdown per game, but he's coming off a sluggish performance against New England's opportunistic defense. While Cook's volume and role in Buffalo's high-powered offense keep him in RB1 territory, fantasy managers should temper expectations--his Week 6 success will likely hinge on finding pay dirt against a disciplined Falcons front.

Monday, October 20, 7:42 PM

The San Francisco 49ers will continue to monitor wide receiver Ricky Pearsall (knee) this week, and there is no certainty that he will return to face the Houston Texans on Sunday in Week 8, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN. Pearsall sprained his knee in the Week 4 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and has missed the last two games as a result. It sounds like the former first-rounder is in danger of missing a third straight game in Week 8, too, depending on how much he can do at practice this week. The 25-year-old didn't practice at all last week, so he'll just be trying to get on the practice field this week as the team begins preparations for the Texans. With Pearsall out, Jauan Jennings and Kendrick Bourne have been the team's top two wideouts, but most of quarterback Mac Jones' passes have been going to do-it-all running back Christian McCaffrey.