Who Should I Start? Tony Pollard or James Cook

Saturday, December 13, 10:33 AM

Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard had been an underwhelming fantasy contributor ever since Tyjae Spears returned from injured reserve, but that all changed last week as Pollard exploded for 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Titans' Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns. The 28-year-old will look to carry the momentum from last weekend into this Sunday's Week 15 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. Tennessee seems to be riding the hot hand at running back, so Pollard will likely get the first crack at handling the every-down role this week. If he starts strong, he could have a shot at replicating last week's huge game. If Pollard can excel against a strong Browns run defense, he's capable of finding similar success against the Niners, who rank near the middle of the league in terms of fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this year. With that being said, we can't guarantee that Pollard will explode just because of one big, unexpected performance. There's still some risk here, making Pollard a low-floor, high-ceiling option for Week 15. He ranks as the overall RB34 in this week's RotoBaller fantasy rankings and can be deployed as a flex in most formats.

Sunday, December 14, 9:42 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook put up a dominant performance in his team's critical Week 15 win over its division rival, the New England Patriots, on Sunday. Cook recorded 22 carries for 107 yards and two touchdowns, and two receptions for four yards and a score. The 26-year-old has now racked up 1,686 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns on 302 touches across 14 games this season. Cook has topped 100 scrimmage yards in five straight games and 11 out of 14 total contests in 2025. He also continues to dominate backfield touches in Buffalo, logging 22 of the team's 26 rushing attempts by running backs in Week 15. Cook profiles as a must-start fantasy running back heading into a Week 16 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.