The Worksheet, a comprehensive fantasy football preview by Rich Hribar, breaks down everything you need to know about the Divisional Round. Find a breakdown of every Divisional Round NFL game in our Worksheet Hub.
Full Game Divisional Round Fantasy Football Previews
| Matchup | Time |
|---|---|
| Bills @ Broncos | Saturday -- 4:30 p.m. ET |
| 49ers @ Seahawks | Saturday -- 8:00 p.m. ET |
| Texans @ Patriots | Sunday -- 3:00 p.m. ET |
| Rams @ Bears | Sunday -- 6:30 p.m. ET |
James Cook
Cook came into last week with a tough draw against the league’s best run defense, and that played out on the field.
Cook ran 15 times for 46 yards (3.1 YPC).
We knew Cook was going to have a tough matchup as a rusher, but his lack of involvement in the passing game (2 catches for 5 yards) was a letdown with Ty Johnson inactive with an ankle injury.
Cook only ran a route on 43.6% of the dropbacks despite Johnson being inactive.
Ray Davis absorbed the vacant routes from Johnson.
Cook’s 3.0 yards per touch were his fewest in a game this season.
This is another tough matchup based on top-down production allowed.
Denver has allowed 4.4 yards per touch to running backs (4th) and a league low 96.1 yards from scrimmage per game to running backs.
The Broncos have allowed 3.9 YPC to backs (4th) with a league-high 67% success rate against those runs.
Only 6.6% of those runs have gained 10 or more yards, third in the league.
Buffalo has faced seven top-10 run defenses this season.
- Week 1 vs. BAL: 13 attempts for 44 yards (3.4 YPC) 1 TD
- Week 5 vs. NE: 15 attempts for 49 yards (3.3 YPC)
- Week 9 vs. KC: 27 attempts for 114 yards (4.2 YPC)
- Week 11 vs. TB: 16 attempts for 48 yards (3.0 YPC)
- Week 12 vs. HOU: 17 attempts for 116 yards (6.8 YPC) 1 TD
- Week 15 vs. NE: 22 attempts for 107 yards (4.9 YPC) 2 TD
- Wild Card vs. JAX: 15 attempts for 46 yards (3.1 YPC)
However, Buffalo has a size advantage up front, and had a lot of success running against Denver in this matchup last season.
In that game, Buffalo running backs combined for 33 attempts for 167 yards (5.1 YPC).
Cook rushed 23 times for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Cook was not involved as a pass catcher, but only 13.9% of the receptions against Denver have been to running backs, the lowest rate in the league.
He did not catch a pass in the playoff game last season, but Johnson caught 2 passes for 26 yards and a touchdown.
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