Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or James Cook

Wednesday, August 6, 1:06 PM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard is listed as the RB1 on the team's first unofficial preseason depth chart ahead of Tyjae Spears. Meanwhile, Spears is listed as the co-RB2 with rookie Kalel Mullings. Head coach Brian Callahan has envisioned more of an even split in this year's backfield between Pollard and Spears, and ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said earlier this week that "people I've talked to in Tennessee believe Spears has positioned himself for an uptick" in opportunities after he averaged 9.5 touches per game last year. Assuming everyone is healthy, Pollard is probably the RB1, but the margin figures to shrink between he and Spears in 2025. It puts Pollard more on the RB2/3 borderline, while Spears is a decent RB4/flex target in PPR leagues or as a handcuff to Pollard. In his first year in Tennessee, Pollard had a career-high 1,079 rushing yards and five TDs on 260 carries.

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.