Isiah Pacheco vs. James Cook - Who Should I Draft in 2024 Fantasy Football?

Should I draft Isiah Pacheco or James Cook in 2024 fantasy football drafts? Joey discusses which young running back fantasy managers should draft in 2024.

Fantasy football drafts are right around the corner, which means it's time to start doing research. This article will look at whether fantasy managers should be drafting Kansas City Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco or Buffalo Bills running back James Cook in drafts this summer. 

Both running backs finished top 15 at the position last year, and now both have similar ADPs heading into drafts. Pacheco has an ADP of 39.4, while Cook has an ADP of 46. 

So, should fantasy managers select Pacheco or Cook in drafts? Who has the better value? Let's dive in and find out. 

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Isiah Pacheco 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

After a strong rookie campaign, not many fantasy managers believed in Pacheco in fantasy in 2023. His ADP was in the later rounds and he only caught 13 passes for 130 yards in 2022, so he didn't have a ton of upside -- even in a Patrick Mahomes-led offense. But the 25-year-old proved everyone wrong. He finished as the RB15 in PPR formats and became a reliable RB2 for fantasy managers. 

After a surgery-shortened offseason in 2023, #Chiefs Isiah Pacheco appears healthy and lean entering year three @KSHB41 pic.twitter.com/YCdaNgOnPh

— Aaron Ladd (@aaronladdtv) May 30, 2024

That shouldn't change for Pacheco in 2024. The Chiefs didn't add any notable running backs this offseason and the former Rutgers product should remain in a big role out of the backfield. He averaged 15.3 PPR fantasy points per game last season while scoring over 15 fantasy points in seven of 14 games. 

James Cook 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook

Cook was another young running back who broke out in 2023, which helped his fantasy value. The Bills back finished as the RB12 in PPR formats and averaged 13.7 fantasy points per game. He also scored double-digit fantasy points in 10 of the 17 games he played last season. 

#Bills OC Joe Brady on whether he needs to dial back James Cook’s workload:

“A lot of that is just kind of seeing how his body holds up throughout the season… He’s physically in better shape than he was [last year].”

Brady on rookie Ray Davis:

“He brings a little different… pic.twitter.com/VW2ZkvYi5m

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) May 28, 2024

That 2023 campaign makes Cook a strong selection early in this year's fantasy drafts. He should remain a key part of Buffalo's offense, as the team only added Ray Davis -- a fourth-round rookie -- to the running back room this offseason. Look for the 24-year-old to also be more involved in the receiving game with both Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis now gone. 

Who Should I Draft in Fantasy Football?

At this point in the draft, fantasy managers can't go wrong with either Pacheco or Cook, but the former is the better value pick. The Chiefs running back averaged more points per game last year and should continue to see 65% to 75% of the team's offensive snaps in 2024. 

On the other hand, Cook struggled to see consistent playing time throughout the year and only played over 50% of the Bills' offensive snaps in five of the last nine games of last season. He also only scored two rushing touchdowns compared to Pacheco's seven, so the Chiefs playmaker is the safer pick. 

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