Who Should I Start? Rhamondre Stevenson or James Cook

Monday, August 18, 7:36 PM

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (undisclosed) returned to practice Monday after missing time with a minor injury. The veteran is battling rookie TreVeyon Henderson for the starting role, though Henderson's presence has dented Stevenson's fantasy outlook. Stevenson is expected to handle change-of-pace and possible goal-line duties behind the rookie, limiting his weekly ceiling. Last season, Stevenson logged 240 touches for 969 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. For 2025 drafts, he's best viewed as a later-round stash with flex potential if Henderson struggles or misses time.

Wednesday, August 13, 9:13 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is officially back in the fold after signing a four-year contract extension with his team on Wednesday. Soon after the signing was announced, Buffalo GM Brandon Beane told reporters that he views Cook as a three-down back. Beane said, "We do feel he can take more, but we like to use our three options and keep him fresh." Cook often lost passing-down work to Ty Johnson last season and only played on 48% of Buffalo's offensive snaps. It is unlikely that Buffalo installs Cook as their workhorse, as their running game was effective in 2024, but it would be a positive for fantasy managers if the Bills shifted some of the targets in the passing game onto Cook's plate. Either way, he sets up as a solid RB2 in fantasy with an RB1 ceiling if he starts catching more passes.