The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills face off in a key AFC East battle in Week 13. Fantasy football managers have tough decisions now that we’re down to the final weeks of the regular season. It’s fantasy playoffs or bust!
One playmaker in the spotlight to produce is Bills running back James Cook. We’re on top of all angles in this matchup for fantasy managers and bettors alike — let’s dive into whether you should start Cook against the Patriots.
Should You Start James Cook vs. the Patriots?
It’s been quite the turbulent season for Bills rookie running back James Cook, despite optimism that the second-round pick would be able to step in and help Josh Allen lead an effective offense this season.
However, the Bills have clearly not been happy with Cook’s ability to help the offense as a rookie — they traded for veteran running back Nyheim Hines at the NFL trade deadline. Despite moving an asset for Hines, the Bills have played him only 24 offensive snaps through four games. Concerns that Cook would lose snaps to Hines have been unfounded.
That doesn’t mean Cook is guaranteed to be a productive player in any given week. The Bills have a top-10 rushing offense driven by Allen and Devin Singletary. Cook has had one fantasy-relevant week this season. This came in Week 11 against the Cleveland Browns. In 16 offensive snaps, Cook carried the ball 11 times for 86 yards.
Otherwise, he’s been a non-factor, and it is unlikely that he is on your fantasy roster.
But if you’re here, you need to know whether Cook is a viable starting option this week. His matchup against the Patriots is difficult, as New England has the No. 1 defense in fantasy scoring allowed to the position.
The Patriots have allowed 76.5 rushing yards but only one touchdown on the season to running backs per game. Cook could find more success out of the backfield because the Patriots have allowed 30.9 receiving yards. But again, just one touchdown to backs through the air.
MORE: Fantasy Football Injury Report Week 13
Though the RB’s rookie season hasn’t gone as anyone had hoped, your fantasy season is never over at Underdog Fantasy. Take part in one of their Best Ball leagues and put Cook in your lineup if you like his ceiling — it’ll help separate yourself from the pack!
Cook is currently ranked at RB42 in our Week 13 PPR fantasy football rankings. That would make him a desperate play that only makes sense if your roster has been devastated by injuries. Managers may not even roster him in the majority of your leagues.
Because Buffalo is so unwilling to run the ball with their backs instead of Allen, and Cook in particular hasn’t been the featured pass catcher on third downs as we expected, I can’t recommend you start Cook against the Patriots. This matchup is as bad as it could be for the rookie, and it’s likely that Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey won’t trust Cook in pass-blocking situations on third downs.
If Cook is your primary option this week, look to the waiver wire for relief. Rams running back Kyren Williams or Titans running back Dontrell Hilliard are better options and should be available.