James Conner or James Cook: Who should I start in Week 17 Fantasy Football?

Fantasy football managers have great running back options to choose from in Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season with James Conner and James Cook among the available alternatives. Both players have racked up numbers throughout the year even though their respective teams are going in different directions.

James Conner and the Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention after their 36-30 overtime loss to the Panthers. They will play the final two games with nothing but pride on the line. Their next assignment is against the Rams. If Arizona can defeat Los Angeles in this divisional matchup, they will stop the latter from confirming their postseason spot. For neutrals, a Cardinals win will also ensure that the Rams' Week 18 clash against the Seahawks is not a dead rubber.

James Cook and the Bills, meanwhile, have already confirmed their postseason ticket. However, they will enter this match knowing that they cannot win the AFC top seed, which the Chiefs have now secured with a victory over the Steelers on Christmas Day. A win here would go a long way, though, in firming their grip on the second spot in the conference as the Ravens are now only one game behind them with an 11-5 record while holding a head-to-head advantage.

Within this context, we look at whether James Conner or James Cook will be a better bet for fantasy football managers.

Is James Conner a good pick in Week 17?

James Conner has had a phenomenal 2024 season and has already racked up 1,000 rushing yards. He has 1,090 yards on the ground in 232 carries at 4.7 yards per attempt and eight touchdowns. The Arizona running back has been in scintillating form in recent weeks, racking up over 300 yards in the last three games, two of which saw him reach three figures. He has also scored three touchdowns in his last two appearances.

Fantasy football owners, though, must consider that he was injured in the game against the Panthers and is officially questionable for Week 17. However, he is expected to play as he did participate in practice.

Is James Cook a good pick in Week 17?

The Buffalo Bills' narrative for the season has been dominated by quarterback Josh Allen's superhuman performances throughout the year. He is rightly in MVP contention but that has somewhat obscured James Cook's consistency.

The running back has 928 yards in 182 carries at a whopping 5.1 yards per attempt. His 14 touchdowns also equate to roughly one per game. Just like his Cardinals counterpart, he has had three forays into the endzone in his last two matches. He has also breached the 100-yard mark against both the Lions and the Patriots in Weeks 15 and 16, respectively. Therefore, fantasy football managers should consider him seriously.

Whom should I start between James Conner and James Cook in Week 17?

With both James Conner and James Cook having similar numbers for 2024, fantasy football owners have a hard choice to make. It is complicated further by them having remarkably similar statistics over the last two weeks, which gives us a scant indication of whom might be favored in Week 17. Fortunately, Sportskeeda's Start/Sit Optimizer tool is made for just such a conundrum.

James Conner vs James Cook - Start 'Em Sit 'Em - Fantasy Football - Week 17 - 2024 NFL Season - Sportskeeda Optimizer Tool Results

As expected, the results are close but the Cardinals running back shades it. He has a higher likelihood of scoring against the Rams, which probably factors in that he recorded a touchdown in his previous outing despite not playing the full match.