Monday Night Football in Week 6 will feature an important AFC East matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets. The Bills hoped to have running back James Cook available as they are coming off of back-to-back losses, but that appears to not be the case.
After scoring 47 points in Week 3 against the Jaguars, the Bills have scored just 33 points combined each of the last two weeks. The Jets could provide a difficult challenge after firing head coach Robert Saleh last week in favor of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Josh Allen and the Bills need a win as they have lost each of their last two games against the Jets at MetLife Stadium.
James Cook Injury Status
Bills running back James Cook did not practice on Thursday or Friday with a turf toe injury. However, the Bills were given some optimism when it comes to the starting running back’s status. Cook practiced in a limited capacity on Saturday.
While Cook was officially listed as questionable on the injury report, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said he would play. Despite that, Cook was listed as inactive for the game on Monday 90 minutes before kickoff.
What James Cook injury means for fantasy football
The Monday Night Football matchup tends to bring a lot of late dramatic finishes in fantasy football leagues. That will be no different this week, especially considering James Cook’s health. There is no better feeling or more stressful than pulling ahead of a fantasy matchup on Monday night. Cook’s injury will only add to that drama.
The Bills running back is sidelined coming off of a turf toe injury.
If you have Cook rostered, he is obviously a player in your starting lineup when healthy given his weekly upside. Cook is the RB5 this season for a reason and has scored 15 or more points in PPR formats in three of the last four weeks. Even against a tough Jets defense that has allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs in 2024, Cook is worth a start. With that said, it would be smart to start the Bills running back in the flex just in case a last-minute adjustment needs to be made.
Ty Johnson is a player to watch. Johnson was the backup in Week 5 and could be worth picking up if you need a handcuff for Monday.
The Bills did elevate practice squad running back Frank Gore, Jr. for the game, but he will be behind rookie Ray Davis in the pecking order.
