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

Tuesday, May 27, 2:39 PM

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. was absent from Day 4 of the team's OTA practices, and Jaguars reporter Carlos Sanchez believes "signs are pointing toward" a potential trade for the former first-round pick out of Clemson. After missing his rookie season with a Lisfranc injury, Etienne racked up consecutive 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he saw his production dip, rushing 150 times for 558 yards and two touchdowns in 15 contests. Tank Bigsby began eating into his workload last year, and now, the team has brought in fourth-round and seventh-round rookie running backs, Bhayshul Tuten (Virginia Tech) and LeQuint Allen (Syracuse). There is a new general manager in Jacksonville and a third head coach since the team selected Etienne, so the two sides could be headed toward a split this offseason. If Etienne is dealt, the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Denver Broncos could be potential suitors that could increase his fantasy football value.

Tuesday, May 27, 1:04 PM

NFL Network' Cameron Wolfe reports that every Buffalo Bills player is present for organized team activities on Tuesday except for running back James Cook, who is seeking a new long-term contract extension. We're still in the voluntary portion of the offseason schedule, so Cook won't be fined, but the 25-year-old wants the team to reward him with an extension as he heads into the final year of his rookie deal. The next change for Cook to show up will be for mandatory minicamp, which runs from June 10-12. It's unclear if Cook plans on holding out into training camp this summer if he doesn't have a new contract by then, but if he reports and is active for Week 1 of the 2025 regular season, he'll be Buffalo's clear RB1 after his second straight 1,000-yard rushing season and a league-high 16 rushing TDs in 2024. Fantasy managers should expect TD regression for the two-time Pro Bowler.