Fantasy Football with Ian Hartitz on James Cook

VideoWeek 2 Fantasy Football Running Back Rankings and Tiers: Time for McCaffrey man...September 16, 2026

From the video

RB5 James Cook. Look, the last time the Bills and Lions faced off, they scored 90 combined points... had a 50% route rate in week one with Tai Johnson sidelineed. That was way higher than 2024 which was at 40% in 2025 which is at 44%.

Mentioned at 4:19 – 5:22

STACKED’s take

Positive signalUsage

RB5 tier: 50% route rate with Johnson out, well above average

Ian Hartitz ranks Cook as RB5 in tier one. Cook posted a 50% route rate in week one with Tai Johnson sidelined, significantly higher than his 2024 rate (40%) and 2025 rate (44%). Despite a tough matchup against Houston, Hartitz expects Cook to remind fantasy players of his elite upside in the coming week.