Who Should I Start? Terry McLaurin or James Cook

Thursday, December 4, 12:37 PM

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has been a disappointment for fantasy managers in 2025 while playing in just five games due to a nagging quad injury. The 30-year-old wideout aggravated his quad injury back in Week 8 and finally made his return in Sunday night's overtime loss to the Denver Broncos. Despite a tough matchup with last year's Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain, McLaurin had his best game of the season, catching seven of his 14 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. He did it while playing just over half of the offensive snaps. It also came with backup quarterback Marcus Mariota running the offense. Three of his seven grabs went for over 15 yards, signaling that Scary Terry might be back when it matters the most in fantasy. McLaurin heads into another tough matchup on the road against the Vikings in Week 14 -- they've allowed the second-fewest half-PPR points to WRs this year -- but he has WR2 upside as Washington's clear WR1.

Monday, December 1, 12:19 AM

The Buffalo Bills leaned heavily on running back James Cook in their 26-7 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Cook handled a career high 32 carries for 144 yards to go along with three receptions (three targets) for a team-leading 33 receiving yards. The 26-year-old did it all for the Bills in a much-needed bounce-back win, and he continues to have an outstanding season after receiving a four-year, $48 million contract extension in the offseason. Cook has seen more work as a receiver lately as well, recording 14 receptions (14 targets) for 136 yards and a touchdown in his last four games. In the first eight games, he totaled 13 receptions (15 targets) for 100 yards and no touchdowns as a receiver. Cook will remain one of the best running backs in fantasy in a dream matchup next week against the Cincinnati Bengals.