Who Should I Start? Javonte Williams or James Cook

Wednesday, January 7, 1:33 PM

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Wednesday that re-signing running back Javonte Williams is at the top of the team's list of offseason priorities, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic. "We want to bring him back and sign him to a multiple-year deal," Jones said. It's not the first time the Cowboys have said this after the 25-year-old Williams exceeded expectations in his first year in Dallas in 2025. The former Denver Broncos RB had the first 1,000-yard rushing season of his career, gaining 1,210 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns on the ground on 252 carries over 16 games. Williams added 35 receptions on 51 targets for 137 yards and two more scores to finish as the RB11 in half-PPR scoring. He finished the year on Injured Reserve due to a nagging shoulder injury, but he should be ready in plenty of time for Week 1 of the 2026 season. If he returns to Dallas, Williams should be the clear RB1 option out of the backfield.

Tuesday, January 13, 7:00 PM

After finishing the regular season with an NFL-best 1,621 rushing yards, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had an underwhelming outing in his first game of the postseason. The 26-year-old was held to just 46 rushing yards on 15 carries and five receiving yards on two catches by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cook's regular-season track record should afford him the benefit of the doubt from fantasy managers. However, he will face another very difficult run defense in the Divisional round when Buffalo travels to Denver to take on the Broncos. The Broncos defense finished the regular season ranked third in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (3.9) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed (11). Additionally, Buffalo's already depleted pass-catching corps lost another two wide receivers in Gabe Davis (knee) and Tyrell Shavers (knee), who both suffered season-ending knee injuries in the Wild Card round. As a result, Denver could be even more geared up to stop Cook and take away the run. Cook remains a high-end running back option, but fantasy managers may want to downgrade expectations heading into the Divisional round.