Running Back 35 – James Cook BUF
James Cook is entering his second season, and with former teammate D. Singletary now in Houston he should be the lead running back (RB) in Buffalo. There are several new RBs in Buffalo but Cook should pace them all. He had 507 rushing yards, 21 receptions, 180 yards receiving, and 3 touchdowns last season. He is on a great offense, with skilled players at every playmaker position. The Buffalo Bills’ defense lost several great players and it could put more pressure on the offense to score. Cook is very confident in his ability to be the RB1 of the Bills and has expressed it. A second year jump in statistics seems in place for Cook in 2023 as Allen’s rushing numbers will likely decrease. Cook’s receptions should increase as well. His ADP (average draft position) is around 80, and that seems an appropriate place for him. An excellent RB 3-4, or RB 2 if you are a ‘hero or zero RB’ drafter.

Linebacker 35 – Patrick Queen BAL
Patrick Queen is on the last year of his rookie contract, and his fifth year option was not picked up by the Baltimore Ravens. Put simply, he is playing this season for a big contract next season. He quietly had his best season last year with 117 combined tackles, 79 solo tackles, 14 QB hits, 5 sacks, 6 passes defended, and 2 interceptions. All of those were career high marks, and he added 9 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumbles recovered too. An impressive year to say the least. The addition of Roquan Smith, allowed Patrick Queen to play as the second best defensive player on his team… allowing him play more free. You can see the hesitation in his second season and first part of last year. In weeks 11-17 he had 6 or more tackles in every game, recorded .5 sack in three games, and forced two turnovers… he was playing with flow and confidence.
P. Queen could play better than his 35th ranking, and it would not be surprising. He is being neglected in drafts, and his improvement in the second half of the season is something going unnoticed. Although it’s popular to give up on players that have been labeled ‘a bust’ or ‘not lived up to expectations’ Queen should not be labeled that. He is excelling in Defensive Coordinator Mike MacDonald’s system, and he is only 23 years old. Some players in the 2023 draft are older than he is now, and he has three years of NFL experience on them. Draft Queen late and feel confident with him as a flex or LB 3.

Thank you for reading Mano y Mano. Check in tomorrow for the 34th ranked RB & LB.
Bet Smart, Be Lucky – Iggy

*Stats come from FantasyPros, Pro Football Reference, Sleeper, and NFL/Next Gen Stats. Rankings are based off of .5 PPR format and FF7s for IDP scoring.