Who Should I Start? Nick Chubb or James Cook

Saturday, July 26, 2:23 PM

News broke on Saturday that Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon (foot) is expected to be out for an extended period due to a frustrating foot injury. According to Jordan Schultz, NFL insider, even with Mixon missing extended time, the Houston Texans will be judicious with veteran Nick Chubb in training camp. It wasn't too long ago that the four-time pro-bowler, Chubb, suffered a severe knee injury (torn ACL, MCL, meniscus, and medial capsule) in a game against the Steelers. He made his comeback in 2024 around mid-season and proceeded to play a handful of games before suffering a season-ending foot injury. He has since recovered and been picked up by the Texans in free agency to be the backup to Mixon. With Mixon expected to miss an extended amount of time, the Texans will likely lean on the veteran to carry the workload, but it appears they will do so cautiously. With Mixon and Dameon Pierce (quad) both out, 2025 fourth-round pick Woody Marks will likely see an uptick in reps and opportunities as well.

Wednesday, July 30, 8:35 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been pushing for a larger role during the first week of training camp. Cook wants to play more on third downs this season after the team mostly turned to Ty Johnson on passing downs in 2024. Thus far in camp, the Bills haven't appeared interested in changing their offense after getting excellent production from their rushing attack last year. Cook will be a free agent after the season, so he likely wants to show that he can be a three-down back as he has an eye on securing a long-term deal for 2026 and beyond. Cook finished as a low-end RB1 in fantasy in 2024, although he benefited from 16 rushing touchdowns. Fantasy managers can continue to draft Cook as a high-end RB2 in upcoming drafts with the possibility for more if the Buffalo coaching staff decides to throw him the ball a bit more frequently.