James Cook
vs Jonathan Taylor

“While the outcome was mild against a Houston defense we still buy as one of the best defensive fronts, Cook got the usage we wanted to see. He played 69.2% of the snaps (RB11) and saw 88.9% of the backfield touches (RB4). The one element that left more to be desired was the passing-game usage that was talked up this preseason.”

“James Cook (RB – BUF) In 2024, James Cook dominated, scoring 16 touchdowns and rushing for 1,009 yards. That production seemed unsustainable. In 2025, he recorded 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, and gave us even more reason to be confident.”

“While Cook does not have the pass-catching profile that usually benefits from a full PPR format, he has been one of the absolute best assets to have on a fantasy roster over the past few seasons, finishing as a top-12 RB each of the last three years. There is hope that Cook may become more involved in the passing game for the Bills, which would only give his fantasy ceiling a boost.”

“James Cook (RB – BUF) has already shown flashes of every skill needed to be the overall RB1: a big receiving season, an 18-touchdown season, and a 1,600-yard rushing season, just never all in the same year.”

“James Cook was picked as the best value on the board at 11th overall, priced almost entirely off last year’s production rather than his upside. The case for a top-three running back season rests on four pillars, and Cook checks every one.”

“James Cook was a no-brainer pick, and it came down to Derrick Henry and Ashton Jeanty for the RB2 slot.”

“The Bills put their money where their mouth is by giving James Cook a ton of money, then followed that up with a bunch of touches (349, to be exact), and brought the rushing title back to Buffalo. James Cook led the NFL in 2025 with 11 games of 80+ rushing yards.”

“James Cook is expected to be more involved in the passing game under new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, whose running backs have been heavily involved in the passing attack throughout his coaching history. Cook had a career-high 309 rush attempts in the regular season en route to the NFL rushing title last season, and shifting some of his carries into targets could be a wise move given his excellent receiving skills demonstrated at the NFL level.”

“Unlike Saquon Barkley, who also plays with a quarterback used heavily near the end zone, the Bills do mix in Cook near the end zone, instead of strictly relying on Josh Allen moving the pile. Cook had 14 rushing attempts inside the 5-yard line in 2025 (tied for 8th in the NFL) with 6 touchdowns on those runs.”

““ Jonathan Taylor ranks inside the top 40 of the FantasyPros half-PPR flex rankings but faces a difficult matchup against the Texans’ stout run defense. Houston has limited opposing backs effectively through two games, which could keep Taylor’s yardage and touchdown chances in check. Even with his usual workload, the low matchup rating suggests a higher risk of a muted outing than his ranking implies.”

“Last season, Jonathan Taylor averaged 31.5 PPG in Colts wins and 12.4 PPG in Colts losses.”

“Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND) With a caveat. Taylor was the RB4 overall, but his season was a tale of two halves.”

“Jonathan Taylor (+600) is the current favorite to lead the league in rushing yards for the 2026 NFL Season.”

“Jonathan Taylor was absolutely dominant for the first half of last season. Had Daniel Jones not gotten injured, Taylor most likely could have stayed effective throughout the whole season.”

“Round 2: Jonathan Taylor (RB – IND) With Daniel Jones coming off a torn Achilles, it’s fair to assume Jonathan Taylor will continue to get a massive amount of work in the running game and as a pass-catcher.”

“Meanwhile, Jonathan Taylor is the focal point of the offense, totaling 323 rushing attempts and 55 targets last season, setting a career high in targets.”

“$39M guaranteed The #Colts and star RB Jonathan Taylor have agreed to terms on a big-time 2-year, $44M extension, per me and @AdamSchefter”

“Taylor is heading into a contract year, likely his last massive one, after turning 27 this offseason. He’ll be motivated, have his quarterback returning, who might need to lean on the run game more, and once again has virtually no competition for touches. There’s a very real world where Taylor is a top-two back this season.”

“Yes, Jonathan Taylor is the bellcow for Indy, and I don’t see that changing, but the RB2 spot is up for grabs in Indy.”