Who Should I Start? Travis Etienne Jr. or James Cook

Thursday, August 14, 2:22 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. got a lot of run "from the jump" in the team's scrimmage on Thursday. Tank Bigsby and rookie Bhayshul Tuten had the second-most reps of RBs during the scrimmage, and Bigsby found the end zone. Etienne was also the team's lead back in the preseason opener on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, although he only carried the ball twice for six yards and caught one pas for a pickup of 10 yards. Bigsby and Tuten didn't see the field. Etienne's usage so far suggests that he should be a big part of Jacksonville's offense in 2025, unless he's traded before the start of the season. The 26-year-old is still RotoBaller's highest-ranked (No. 33) Jaguars RB in fantasy, but Bigsby is at No. 38, and Tuten sits at No. 51. It could be a three-headed monster for Jacksonville, making Etienne an RB3/flex, at best, in PPR leagues if he's not traded.

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.