James Cook III · Jonathan Taylor · 2026 week 9

James Cook III or Jonathan Taylor?

Wondering who you should start this week — James Cook III or Jonathan Taylor? The start/sit call and the numbers behind it are below, plus who wins a straight-up trade. Rebuilt nightly.

Start Jonathan TaylorJonathan Taylor projects 2.6 PPR points clear of James Cook III in week 9, drawing DAL — the 3rd-ranked matchup for RBs. The numbers behind the call are below; overrule them with your eyes open.
PlayerWk 9Proj (PPR)MatchupForm L3Trade valueStatus
James Cook III @ MIN 14.9 22nd 21.7 7,057 healthy
Jonathan Taylor START vs DAL 17.5 3rd · soft 15.6 7,179 healthy

RBs vs MIN recently: Kendre Miller 9 pts (W5) · Jonathan Taylor 17 pts (W7) · Jahmyr Gibbs 22.8 pts (W8).

RBs vs DAL recently: Pierre Strong Jr. 6.7 pts (W6) · Saquon Barkley 13.1 pts (W7) · Tyler Allgeier 31.1 pts (W8).

🎓 The coach's read

Free. Add your scoring and who else you have — the answer gets specific. 3 questions a day without an account, 30 with one.

Who wins a straight-up trade?

Jonathan Taylor carries the higher trade value — 7,179 against 7,057 (a 2% gap). In a one-for-one, the side receiving Jonathan Taylor gets the most. Momentum: James Cook III +100 and Jonathan Taylor -1112 over the last 30 days.

Open in Start/Sit (any scoring) Open in the Trade Analyzer

More RB decisions

James Cook III or Kenneth Walker III?James Cook III or Christian McCaffrey?Jonathan Taylor or Bijan Robinson?Jonathan Taylor or Kenneth Walker III?Jonathan Taylor or Christian McCaffrey?
All numbers are the 2026 season, refreshed nightly.