Who Should I Start? Khalil Shakir or James Cook


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.5 0.0 0.0 5.7 55.2 0.4

Khalil Shakir News

Khalil Shakir to See a Drop in Targets?

Thursday, March 5, 7:35 AM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir has led the team in targets and receiving yards in each of the past two seasons, but given the team's reported acquisition of Bears receiver DJ Moore via trade, that streak is likely to come to an end in 2026. Shakir has been a fantasy-relevant depth piece over the past two seasons, largely due to his safe, volume-dependent floor while the Bills struggled to find an Alpha receiver to fill the shoes of Stefon Diggs, who last played for the Bills in 2023. In Moore, they appear to have found that Alpha. While Shakir and Moore do play complementary games, and the spacing provided by a true outside threat could help Shakir see more spike games, his reliable floor will likely become a thing of the past, making him a difficult-to-trust weekly play moving forward.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
18.2 77.7 0.8 2.7 22.8 0.1

James Cook News

James Cook III Solidified Himself as a High-End Running Back in 2025

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.


Khalil Shakir vs. James Cook

Still trying to decide between Shakir and Cook? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Khalil Shakir is projected to score 13.5 points this week while James Cook is projected to score 18.2 points.