Who Should I Start? Zack Moss or James Cook

Monday, April 29, 11:40 PM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Zack Moss is expected to have a large role in 2024 after the team opted not to select any competition in the NFL Draft. Cincinnati signed Moss during free agency, shortly before trading Joe Mixon to the Houston Texans. This series of moves made it seem like the Bengals could upgrade their backfield in the draft, but that wasn't the case. Instead, it appears Moss will be Cincinnati's primary running back, barring a surprise signing or trade. Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic indicates that Moss has a leg up over Chase Brown heading into the summer, and the former Indianapolis Colt is also viewed as the Bengals' preferred option on third down. Such a favorable outlook (combined with his 70.4 scrimmage yards and 0.5 touchdowns per game last season) puts him in the low-end RB2 range for redraft fantasy football, though his draft position could slip if Brown has a strong camp.

Wednesday, June 12, 4:36 PM

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook dropped five passes last season, which ranked sixth among all qualified running backs. Early in offseason activities, the third-year pro out of Georgia has continued to struggle in that area, according to Bills reporter Alex Brasky. "James Cook allowed a pass to bounce off his hands, high into the air near the start of team drills at Wednesday's mandatory minicamp." Brasky wrote, "Cook encountered issues with drops last season and has done little to ramp down those concerns during offseason activities." While this is somewhat of a concern, it can often be overplayed when analyzing a player's fantasy football value. After catching 44 passes for 445 yards and ranking second among running backs in yards per reception, the team is unlikely to pull back his receiving workload. That said, rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis caught 62 passes over his final two collegiate seasons in the SEC and could become a factor on third downs.