Who Should I Start? Jonathan Taylor or James Cook III


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.6 83.3 0.7 3.0 21.9 0.1

Jonathan Taylor News

Jonathan Taylor Poised for Another Productive Year

Thursday, September 3, 7:46 PM

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor is poised to have another very productive season in 2026. Taylor ranked as the overall RB4 in PPR leagues last year, and even that finish was somewhat underwhelming relative to how dominant he started the season. Through the first 10 weeks last year, he scored a whopping 17 touchdowns while ranking as the RB1 in PPR leagues. In fact, during that span, he scored 25.1 points more than the RB2, Christian McCaffrey. He also had a torrid stretch where he recorded five different three-touchdown games within eight weeks. In other words, Taylor was playing at an MVP level before cooling off after the bye week (and after quarterback Daniel Jones went down with an Achilles injury). Jones is healthy again, restoring a semblance of life to this offense and potentially reigniting Taylor's upside as the overall RB1 if he can stay healthy. He is currently being drafted in the middle of the first round of fantasy drafts, typically as the fourth running back off the board.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
16.0 78.2 0.6 2.1 16.8 0.1

James Cook III News

James Cook III Set For More Passing Work To Reduce Rushing Workload

Thursday, September 3, 6:59 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III led the league last year in rushing with 1,621 rushing yards on 309 carries, but look for him this season to be more involved in the passing game and be more explosive overall. According to a Sports Illustrated article, Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael hinted that Cook was heavily involved in the run game last season and could see a reduction to his workload as a result of increased passing work. That's good news for Cook's health and a boost to fantasy managers with a big season upcoming due to potential big plays in the passing game with Josh Allen running the offense under new coach Joe Brady. Cook looks locked and loaded as a first round pick and this only increases his value. Last year, Cook had 33 catches for 291 yards and two receiving TDs. Look for those numbers to skyrocket this season if he stays healthy.


Jonathan Taylor vs. James Cook III

Still trying to decide between Taylor and Cook III? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jonathan Taylor is projected to score 18.6 points this week while James Cook III is projected to score 16.0 points.