Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or James Cook

Saturday, November 22, 4:44 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will make his second start of the season on the road in Week 12 against the Saints, with the team losing Michael Penix Jr. (knee) to injury for the rest of the year. The 37-year-old started the team's Week 8 contest against the Dolphins, but unsurprisingly looked rusty, completing 21 of 31 passes for 173 yards and no scores (and zero interceptions). Expectations should not be high for managers considering the veteran as a streaming option, as he lost his job to Penix last year and was unable to wrest it back to begin 2025. Also, the Saints have been solid on defense, limiting opposing quarterbacks to the 17th-most fantasy points in the league, and they get the benefit of this game being played in New Orleans. With a low implied point total for Atlanta in this one (19), there isn't expected to be a lot of scoring, and if there is, it could come from the one-two punch of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier on the ground, especially given that top wide receiver Drake London (knee) will be out. As such, Cousins projects as a low-end QB2 in this matchup.

Thursday, November 20, 11:30 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had 17 carries for 116 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown during Thursday's Week 12 loss against the Houston Texans. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 13 receiving yards. The highlight of his game was a 45-yard touchdown run to break the scoreless tie in the first quarter. Even as the Bills' offense was slowed down by the Texans' strong defense, Cook still had a very productive game and carved out a terrific fantasy performance once again. He logged his first rushing touchdown since Week 8 and now has nine trips to the end zone this season. He remains a high-end RB1 option heading into Week 13 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.