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

Friday, February 20, 6:20 PM

The Kansas City Star's Pete Sweeney reports that Jacksonville Jaguars impending free-agent running back Travis Etienne Jr. has "legitimate interest" in signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in free agency this offseason, according to sources. Chiefs RBs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco are both scheduled to hit free agency, too, so KC is definitely in the market for backfield help. Etienne, the former 25th overall pick by the Jags in 2021 out of Clemson, had a nice bounce-back campaign in 2025, reaching the 1,000-yard mark for the third time in his four NFL seasons. The 27-year-old had 260 carries and added seven rushing touchdowns while catching 36 passes for 292 yards and a career-high six receiving TDs in 17 regular-season games. Etienne would be a significant upgrade for a Chiefs offense looking to become more explosive after failing to make the postseason last year for the first time in a decade. Etienne was the RB10 in half-PPR scoring in 2025 and would have clear RB1 upside if he joined the Chiefs.

Friday, February 13, 7:31 AM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III solidified himself as one of the NFL's best running backs in 2025, racking up 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 309 carries across 17 games. The 26-year-old also impacted the game as a receiver, hauling in 33 receptions for 291 yards and two scores. Cook III has always been an efficient player, but he was able to reach new production heights in 2025 thanks to an increase in workload. After logging 239 touches across 16 games played in 2024, Cook III recorded 342 touches in 2025 and still averaged a highly efficient 5.6 yards per touch. Cook III signed a four-year extension with Buffalo before the start of the 2025 season, so he's locked in as the team's lead rusher for the foreseeable future. The Bills also promoted former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, so it seems unlikely that the team would radically shift its offensive approach going forward. Now that he's proven he can handle a significant workload, Cook III profiles as a high-end running back option for fantasy managers in dynasty formats.