Who Should I Start? Kenneth Walker III or James Cook

Tuesday, February 17, 4:24 AM

The Seattle Seahawks are not expected to place the franchise tag on impending free agent running back Kenneth Walker III, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Walker capitalized on a contract year and put together a very impressive 2025 campaign. For the first time in his career, he was healthy for all 17 regular-season games. He tallied 1,309 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns while splitting work with Zach Charbonnet during the regular season, and he put the rushing workload on his back after Charbonnet tore his ACL during Seattle's first playoff game. Ultimately, Walker won Super Bowl MVP and could now fetch the largest contract among this year's free agent running backs. Schefter doesn't totally rule out a return to Seattle for Walker, but he does note that the team has other plans for its spending, including a Jaxon Smith-Njigba extension and re-signing other free agents.

Friday, February 13, 7:31 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III solidified himself as one of the NFL's best running backs in 2025, racking up 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 309 carries across 17 games. The 26-year-old also impacted the game as a receiver, hauling in 33 receptions for 291 yards and two scores. Cook III has always been an efficient player, but he was able to reach new production heights in 2025 thanks to an increase in workload. After logging 239 touches across 16 games played in 2024, Cook III recorded 342 touches in 2025 and still averaged a highly efficient 5.6 yards per touch. Cook III signed a four-year extension with Buffalo before the start of the 2025 season, so he's locked in as the team's lead rusher for the foreseeable future. The Bills also promoted former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, so it seems unlikely that the team would radically shift its offensive approach going forward. Now that he's proven he can handle a significant workload, Cook III profiles as a high-end running back option for fantasy managers in dynasty formats.