Speaker 1: You found Fantasy Football Weekly Micro a deep dive on
Speaker 1: one player in just five to ten minutes. Now, here's
Speaker 1: your host, Paul Chargian. It's a Thursday edition of Fantasy
Speaker 1: Football Weekly Micro edition on Paul Chargian. We've got a
Speaker 1: deep dive on James Cook coming up for you. My
Speaker 1: co host is Tyler Cannabilee. You can reach Tyler on
Speaker 1: Twitter at Tyler Cannabiley. Can a e b L E
Speaker 1: kN a e b L E Guillotine leagues dot com writer.
Speaker 1: Let's dive into James Cook. He had the big finish
Speaker 1: to last year. Clearly better at the end of the
Speaker 1: year as many rookies are than he was at the
Speaker 1: beginning of the year. Usage went way up, some eye
Speaker 1: popping plays, he's being his ADP has moved up quite
Speaker 1: a bit. But let's talk through this season. What are
Speaker 1: your thoughts.
Speaker 2: Well, he finishes the RB forty four last season, definitely
Speaker 2: not ideal. But he's going off the board as RB
Speaker 2: thirty two right now, so you still have to pay
Speaker 2: a little bit more form than what he produced last year.
Speaker 2: But ye, he's kind of projected to have a bigger
Speaker 2: role just because he's going into year two.
Speaker 3: He's with the Bills, which is kind of the.
Speaker 1: Whatever bill point we want to have a part of
Speaker 1: the Bills offense.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and if you look at him as just like
Speaker 2: the player and some of the stuff that he was
Speaker 2: doing in Buffalo last year, among guys with seventy five attempts,
Speaker 2: James Cook was seconding yards per carry, averaging five point
Speaker 2: eight yards per carry, only behind Priest Hall.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: So that's a great stat And the big stat that
Speaker 2: I really liked.
Speaker 1: Was, by the way, five point eight yards per carry.
Speaker 3: Yes, that is a.
Speaker 1: Very very healthy that's just a season long per carry basis.
Speaker 1: That's excellent.
Speaker 2: And what really helped that was his breakaway percentage. He
Speaker 2: was first in a breakaway breakaway runs which are runs
Speaker 2: of fifteen plus yards, among all running backs with seventy
Speaker 2: five plus carries, and he was with a forty eight
Speaker 2: percent rate the other guys on fo okay stop there.
Speaker 1: Yeah, forty eight percent of his carries were breakaways. Insane,
Speaker 1: which is fifty That is insane for James Cook. Unbelievable number.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean you look at the other that list too,
Speaker 2: is a nice list to be on. Kenneth Walker to
Speaker 2: Tony Pollard.
Speaker 1: Breesehall, Okay, stop there. Kenneth Walker and Breesehall, who are
Speaker 1: near him in breakaway percentage, their seasons ended early, and
Speaker 1: you know that's you know, that's a good part of
Speaker 1: why they were able to maintain that high percentage of
Speaker 1: breakaway runs. Pollard is just really good. He got the
Speaker 1: franchise tag. So you know, the fact that James Cook
Speaker 1: did it on a full season, granted a limited workload,
Speaker 1: but on a full season is really impressive.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I will say I think he did. I think
Speaker 2: he did have the least amount of carries of any
Speaker 2: guy on this list. Okay, so I think that did
Speaker 2: help him a little bit. It does help so but
Speaker 2: but like I said, it's still a nice list to
Speaker 2: be on. So I think the only potential problem is
Speaker 2: that he really couldn't be out Devin Singletary last year.
Speaker 2: Throughout the course of the season, Devin Singletary was was
Speaker 2: getting all of the touches pretty much.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Well, but that's a rookie year thing, see to me,
Speaker 1: And that's not the only problem. I'm gonna give you
Speaker 1: another bigger problem in a minute here. I think with
Speaker 1: James Cook, but you know, he's a rookie, he's got
Speaker 1: to learn pass protection. He's got to you know, be
Speaker 1: able to know where to run. I mean there's you know,
Speaker 1: it's not the most sophisticated position in the NFL, but
Speaker 1: there are things you have to learn to be a
Speaker 1: trusted NFL running back who's not going to get his
Speaker 1: quartographed back decapitated and you know other stuff. And so
Speaker 1: the fact that Singletary yielded a bunch of carries at
Speaker 1: the end of the year and then they just let
Speaker 1: Singletary go, that's what scares me, you know, says tells
Speaker 1: me that there was some confidence in James Cook.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I mean if we just just real quick
Speaker 2: kind of break it down games with fifteen plus touches
Speaker 2: last season, Singletary had seven, James Cook had won. And
Speaker 2: then in the full season, uh, Singletary had two hundred
Speaker 2: and fifteen touches.
Speaker 3: Cook had one hundred and ten.
Speaker 1: Okay, that was during the that was during the regular season, yes,
Speaker 1: and then but that's a two to one ratio of
Speaker 1: touches leaning towards Singletary in the regular season exactly.
Speaker 2: And then in the playoffs though it kind of it
Speaker 2: did kind of get closer where Singletary at twenty one,
Speaker 2: Cook had seventeen. It's almost like a one to one ratio, right,
Speaker 2: which is so like to see that.
Speaker 1: And in the playoffs, these are high leverage games, single elimination,
Speaker 1: and they trusted James Cook in the playoffs to be
Speaker 1: basically even with singletary on touches. That's a very good sign.
Speaker 1: It's not a good sign. Damien Harris.
Speaker 3: I'm with you on this one.
Speaker 1: So he is an issue. Harris is a goal line star.
Speaker 1: Over the course of his career, he's been given twenty
Speaker 1: four rushing attempts from inside the five yard line and
Speaker 1: he's turned that into twelve touchdowns. As we often say
Speaker 1: in the show, a very good touchdown back is at
Speaker 1: a fifty percent conversion rate. And that's Harris's career, twenty
Speaker 1: four rushing attempts, twelve touchdowns, fifty percent conversion rate. And
Speaker 1: James Cook just isn't built for that. He's not tiny,
Speaker 1: but he's not built like a goal line back and
Speaker 1: he's not built like Damien Harris. And as a rookie
Speaker 1: last year, Cook was given zero rushing attempts from inside
Speaker 1: the five and one targeted pass from inside the five,
Speaker 1: so he got one touch all including the playoffs, for
Speaker 1: James Cook last season from inside the five, Damien Harris
Speaker 1: is gonna steal those touchdowns.
Speaker 2: And who else is gonna steal those touchdowns is Josh Allen,
Speaker 2: who like in the red zone if really can just
Speaker 2: pure rushing ability, like who's gonna get touches? James Cook's
Speaker 2: third on that list, and he's the second best running
Speaker 2: back because you got Damien Harris Josh Allen both above him.
Speaker 3: And that's why.
Speaker 2: I'm kind of out on James Cook because that touchdown
Speaker 2: potential just does not seem like it's there, doesn't seem
Speaker 2: like he can even hit. Like if he got five
Speaker 2: touchdowns this season, that would be I would say, pretty
Speaker 2: good considering where he falls on kind of the pecking
Speaker 2: order in this Bill's offense.
Speaker 1: That worries me as well. The other thing worries me,
Speaker 1: so Damien Harris was hurt almost all last year. The
Speaker 1: year before that, Damian Harris was really really good, really good,
Speaker 1: and he rolled into this season as the team's number
Speaker 1: one running back until he got hurt. So through the
Speaker 1: first month of the season, Damien Harris was getting more
Speaker 1: work than Lewandre Stevenson and he was starting those games.
Speaker 1: And then he got hurt and then the rest of
Speaker 1: the year was a watch for Harris. I'm I just
Speaker 1: think Harris is a good back. He's gonna factor into
Speaker 1: this offense more than people want to believe, and he's
Speaker 1: gonna be the goal line guy. And I'm with you
Speaker 1: on the touchdowns. I think Cook. I would not be
Speaker 1: surprised if Cook has a three three receiving touchdowns on
Speaker 1: the year, four receiving touchdowns on the year, three rushing
Speaker 1: touchdowns on the year that come from distance, yep, and
Speaker 1: that might be it.
Speaker 2: I think that's even kind of projecting on like the
Speaker 2: high side that he gets three six.
Speaker 1: Or seven touchdown total is high.
Speaker 3: Yeah. I feel like that's high for him because where
Speaker 3: are they gonna come from?
Speaker 2: Because he's not gonna be I mean, he might get
Speaker 2: like a red zone kind of swing pass four touchdown,
Speaker 2: but he's gonna We're saying he's gonna break away.
Speaker 3: I mean, we talked about the breakaway.
Speaker 1: Wait, right, that's how he's gonna score.
Speaker 3: I know it's good, but I.
Speaker 2: Think it's you're kind of getting those mucky waters. If
Speaker 2: you're trying to project like four fifty yard touchdowns, Yeah,
Speaker 2: you just can't project very.
Speaker 3: It's hard to do exactly.
Speaker 1: Although Cook does look he looks pretty good and I
Speaker 1: know he'll get He'll find his way to three or
Speaker 1: four rushing touchdowns, three or four receiving touchdowns in my opinion,
Speaker 1: and that makes him fair, it makes him startable. I
Speaker 1: feel like James Cook is a flex player.
Speaker 3: Yeah, he's definitely a flex player.
Speaker 2: I just don't think it's kind of one of those
Speaker 2: things where he doesn't have that like top twelve running
Speaker 2: back upside, where like if Damien Harris finishes a top
Speaker 2: twelve running back with just the amount of touchdowns that
Speaker 2: he could have in this offense, like, I wouldn't be shocked.
Speaker 2: I don't think it's likely, but I wouldn't be shocked.
Speaker 2: I would be shocked if James Cook finishes a top
Speaker 2: twelve running back.
Speaker 1: Damien Harris could be uh eight to ten touchdowns because
Speaker 1: I think they're pull back on some of Josh Allen's
Speaker 1: touchdown runs. Eventually, I feel like they're gonna go at
Speaker 1: the one. He's always gonna be the guy. But like
Speaker 1: at the three yard line, I think they're gonna just
Speaker 1: give the ball to Damien Harris.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Oh that's what they definitely should do you mean, yeah, you're.
Speaker 1: A franchise guy, Damon Harris. No, Josh Allens protecting your
Speaker 1: friends exactly.
Speaker 3: He's your a franchise guy. You need to protect him.
Speaker 2: And I mean they were talking about that all last season,
Speaker 2: like Sean mcdorns like, I want to see him run
Speaker 2: more next game.
Speaker 3: Josh Allen is fifteen carries.
Speaker 1: So it's funny how that works. Yeah, So for Dynasty,
Speaker 1: I'm selling James Cook right now. Oh yeah, because I
Speaker 1: think there's so much interest in a young, second year
Speaker 1: running back. But I just feel in the Bills offense.
Speaker 1: But for the reasons we've talked about touchdowns usage, Damien
Speaker 1: Harris being a bigger fact than people think. I think
Speaker 1: you can get a What do you think you can
Speaker 1: get for him in Dynasty?
Speaker 3: If I could get how.
Speaker 1: About pick seven of the first round.
Speaker 3: Oh that's a smash. I don't think you're gonna get
Speaker 3: pick seven, though.
Speaker 2: I think I think it now is the time to
Speaker 2: sell because I think people remember him kind of finishing
Speaker 2: out the season a little better, so that now is
Speaker 2: definitely the time to sell because before the NFL, especially
Speaker 2: before the NFL Draft, because they could draft somebody like
Speaker 2: that and then James Cook value goes down even more.
Speaker 1: I don't think they're gonna they might they might not,
Speaker 1: But if.
Speaker 3: They do, not good for James No, clearly.
Speaker 1: And it's a deep running back draft exactly.
Speaker 2: That's why I'm so scared, because they could draft somebody
Speaker 2: in the fifth round. You're like, oh, this guy's actually
Speaker 2: could be a good player. Yeah, so that's something that
Speaker 2: scares me. But if I could get like a late
Speaker 2: first for him, I definitely do that, even like a
Speaker 2: two oh four to two five.
Speaker 3: I think I would do that still too.
Speaker 2: Like I said, a lot of good running backs in
Speaker 2: this draft, I think I could get kind of the
Speaker 2: same type of player at the two five range.
Speaker 1: So the funny thing, he's going off the board at
Speaker 1: running back thirty two, but I don't like him. I
Speaker 1: still like James Cook. The other running backs that are
Speaker 1: going off the board in the thirties, it's not great.
Speaker 1: So let's talk through some of those guys.
Speaker 2: Okay, James Connor RB thirty right now, totally out, totally out, Yeah.
Speaker 1: Don't I don't like I've never liked James Connor as
Speaker 1: a runner. I love his personal story, of course, but
Speaker 1: just I just think he's just a guy. I think
Speaker 1: he's utterly replaceable, just a guy runner.
Speaker 2: Okay, so I'd rather up James Cook or Shot Penny
Speaker 2: RB thirty one.
Speaker 1: Not risking the injury.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Out.
Speaker 3: It's funny though. It's like he's on the Eagles and
Speaker 3: it's like we sell he could be.
Speaker 2: Miles Sanders from last season if I had that's his
Speaker 2: best case in the arrow for a shot Penny is,
Speaker 2: if he's Miles Sanders.
Speaker 1: Who's next?
Speaker 3: Alvin Kamara RB thirty three. You're right, it's very mucky
Speaker 3: waters here. It is.
Speaker 1: Car's gonna miss some time. Probably you should have missed
Speaker 1: time last year. But we'll probably finally get spended. But
Speaker 1: this is a weirdly low spot for Alvin Kamara running
Speaker 1: back thirty three.
Speaker 3: Do you still think Alvin Kamara is like the guy
Speaker 3: in New Orleans? Like? Do you still believe in Alvin
Speaker 3: Alvin Kamara the player.
Speaker 1: Uh pre draft?
Speaker 3: Yeah?
Speaker 1: Kind maybe not to ever be what he was two
Speaker 1: years ago, three years ago, but I still think he
Speaker 1: until until they draft some the draft, a real threat.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I think they believe that he's that guy. Yeah, So
Speaker 1: I take Kamera all right. Khlil Herbert RB thirty four.
Speaker 1: I think this is a sneaky guy.
Speaker 3: I really like.
Speaker 1: I like Herbert a lot too.
Speaker 2: I think he'd be the starting running back, oh will
Speaker 2: I think it will be. And he's Yeah, we saw
Speaker 2: what he was.
Speaker 3: He was.
Speaker 2: He was split in time with Dave Montgomery there at
Speaker 2: the end when they were both healthy. It was kind
Speaker 2: of a fifty to fifty backfield. And Herbert was a
Speaker 2: great runs man.
Speaker 1: Yeah, he looked. He looked good. I'm with you on Herbert. Now,
Speaker 1: many people think Chicago is going to go running back
Speaker 1: in this draft, and I would not be surprised that.
Speaker 1: We'll see if that happens too.
Speaker 2: But even if they do, I mean, it's still clill
Speaker 2: Herbert like he's a good running back, correct, Yep?
Speaker 3: All right. Jamal Williams RB thirty.
Speaker 1: Five, another Saint, so the two Saints, you know, and
Speaker 1: presumably they brought him in to be a goal line runner,
Speaker 1: which Kamara never was. And that's the downside in Kamara
Speaker 1: is like James Cook could be sitting on it could
Speaker 1: be sitting on just a six touchdown season, which is
Speaker 1: about what Kamara had last year. Yeah, so that's your downside.
Speaker 1: So still I don't want to I can't pin my
Speaker 1: hopes to a goal line runner, So yeah, I'd rather
Speaker 1: have James.
Speaker 2: I'm gonna go James Cook as well, just because I mean,
Speaker 2: is Jamal Williams even the main goal line back on
Speaker 2: that team? When you got Taysom Hill vulturing touchdowns left and.
Speaker 1: Right, I hope they just cut that guy.
Speaker 3: You only Taysom Hill. Oh. I love Taysom Hill.
Speaker 2: He's a great tight end play every week because he
Speaker 2: could have like twenty five points from as a running back.
Speaker 2: He's a running back at tight end, which I absolutely love.
Speaker 2: I love his tight end eligibility.
Speaker 1: Don't do it in guillotine, I can tell you that much.
Speaker 1: We got to go, all right, all right, thanks for listening, everybody.
Speaker 1: Full edition of Fantasy Football Weekly coming up tomorrow as
Speaker 1: we recap the first round of the NFL Draft.
Speaker 3: Bye Bye,