Week 8 of the NFL kicks off with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Buffalo Bills. Running back James Cook will look to capitalize off a strong performance last week that saw him surpass the century mark in total yards, a first for him this season.
We look ahead to Cook’s matchup and determine whether he’s a lock to start in either PPR or standard fantasy leagues.
Fantasy Football analysis: Bills RB James Cook
Heading into Week 8, Cook ranks as RB14 in PPR fantasy leagues with an average of 12.8 fantasy points per game. Cook has rushed for 419 yards on the ground and logged 186 receiving yards through the air.
Start or sit in Week 8 PPR leagues?
Start. Cook has already outpaced Latavius Murray when it comes to carries on the ground, and now he’s beginning to establish himself as a go-to option through the air. The second-year tailback is averaging 10.9 yards per catch over 17 receptions this year and has reached double-digit fantasy scoring in five of his seven contests. Tampa Bay has also been one of the most susceptible teams in allowing catches to running backs, giving up 5.7 receptions per game to the position.
Treat Cook as an RB1 in both smaller fantasy leagues as well as larger leagues with 12 to 14 teams.
Start or sit in Week 8 standard leagues?
Start. Cook compiled his first combined 100-yard day since Week 3, which included a receiving touchdown to give him his fifth overall score of the season. The second-year running back outcarried Murray 13-to-4 last week, and while Murray will stay involved in the offense, there’s no question that Cook is the de-facto RB1, so long as he stays healthy. The Bucs are more stout in defending the run, but Cook’s ability to be a reliable pass-catcher should help him in this matchup.
Cook is a confident RB1 in both smaller and larger fantasy leagues for Week 8.
Player(s) you would start ahead of James Cook
Jahmyr Gibbs exploded for 27.6 PPR fantasy points last week, and the Detroit Lions running back has an enticing matchup on Monday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders. Las Vegas is allowing 20.5 fantasy points per game to running backs, and if David Montgomery is out once again, Gibbs is a lock as a must-start.
