Should I Start James Cook in Week 3? RB Fantasy Football Ranking Analysis

September 23, 2023

Should I start James Cook for fantasy football in Week 3? Is James Cook a good start, or should you bench him? Read the latest fantasy football outlook.

Buffalo Bills running back, James Cook, had a rough start to the NFL season but has quickly turned things around. While the world witnessed the Buffalo Bills have a shocking loss to the New York Jets in Week 1, they bounced back quickly.

With an ADP of 27 in PPR Fantasy Leagues, Cooks was a disappointment in Week 1.  He was able to show he could pay off his price tag in Week 2 in a dominating win versus the Las Vegas Raiders.

Cook put on a performance and will look to continue to do so heading into Week 3 versus the Washington Commanders.

What Did James Cook Do In Week 2?

James Cook quickly showed his ceiling in Week 2. He had 12 carries for 123 yards versus the Raiders while adding four receptions for 36 receiving yards.

James Cook with another good rep in pass pro#Bills #BillsMafia #GoBills

pic.twitter.com/1fFk6UKnad

— Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) September 17, 2023

Cook had a 58% snap share in Week 2 while having 46% of the rushing attempts and 56% in routes ran. Latavius Murray is behind him but with very few shares which we like to see. But like we saw in Week 2, Murray could be a red-zone vulture.

Should I Start James Cook In Week 3 Fantasy Football?

We have seen two versions of this Buffalo Bills offense. One that was horrendous versus the New York Jets and one that completely dominated the Las Vegas Raiders. Now they face the Washington Commanders. A team that gives up just 15.8 PPR Fantasy Points to the running back position. While on paper, it isn't the prettiest of matchups, this is a Bills offense that can dominate as easily as turning on a light switch.

James Conner led the Arizona Cardinals with 62 rushing yards on 14 carries in Week 1 versus the Commanders. The Cardinals combined for 96 rushing yards though between five different players. In Week 2, Russell Wilson led the Denver Broncos in rushing yards with 56 while Javonte Williams rushed for 44 yards on 12 carries. As a whole, the Broncos combined for 122 yards on the ground.

Washington's defense seems to struggle with opposing teams' running back committees. Cook, who holds the lion's share of the snaps for the Bills group, could have a day. He comes in ranked as RB13 and the ceiling could be nice in this matchup. He deserves a starting spot in your fantasy team's lineup and that may be season-long if his snap shares stay as high as they have been through the first two weeks of the season.

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