James Cook Fantasy Impact in 2024
James Cook is one of your fantasy football drafts’ most intriguing running backs this season, and he will be someone you should target. He is currently the top running back for the Buffalo Bills and will be among the few reliable options for quarterback Josh Allen. Some people are not high on him for that fact because he plays with a quarterback who likes to run. But things are different this time around. And you have to go back to what he did last season, which helps us justify why Cook is a running back you should target in your fantasy football draft. With that said, let’s get started.
Offensive Line Changes (Again)
Although the Buffalo Bills have traditionally had quality offensive line units, they have never consistently gelled in a way that has produced league-leading success year after year. However, in 2023, the OL —in its second year under offensive line coach Aaron Kromer—was solid in both run and pass protection; the team finished sixth in the NFL in pass-block win rate and seventh in run-block win rate. James Cook became the first Buffalo player to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season since the 2017 NFL season (1,122).
The Bills changed their lineup again in the 2024 offseason, as veteran center Mitch Morse signed with the Jaguars this offseason. Connor McGovern, who started 17 games at left guard for Buffalo last season will be moved to center, a move the versatile lineman is looking forward to. David Edwards, a depth lineman for Buffalo in 2023, or La’el Collins, a free agency signing who is recovering from serious ACL and MCL injuries, will start at left guard; Edwards is the early favorite to earn the position.
Given the overall stability and Aaron Kromer’s presence, the unit should be strong once again in the 2024 season, regardless of how the line ultimately plays out. Pro Football Focus recently ranked the NFL offensive lines, and writer Zoltan Buday found Buffalo’s unit to be the eighth-best in the league, indicating Buffalo’s confidence in their post-Morse succession plans.
ADP: 32 RB13
Cook will come into his third season in the NFL. Now is the time to take the next step. After two years of playing as a transitional running back, he has the keys to the castle and the first opportunity to dominate as the lead running back for the Bills. Cook is ready to show he can be the guy who carries the Bills to greatness.
It helps that the Bills jettisoned Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis off to other teams. Furthermore, Cook was good even with them around, as he had a total of 1,567 yards from scrimmage, which was only third behind Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall. That gives him some incredible value, especially at his ADP.
When To Draft James Cook
Our average draft position rankings have Cook listed around the 32nd pick in PPR leagues, meaning that you can find him somewhere around the third round. Some may disagree with this, as others may see him more of a fourth-round pick. But you are not looking at the big picture. Thus, there is so much potential for Cook to explode this season, especially considering he will be the only main running back in Buffalo, aside from Ray Davis.
Cook can be your RB2 at the value he is at. However, he can evolve and explode into an RB1 if he can ascend to his potential and take advantage of the opportunities he will be given. The only worries are the potential touchdown siphons that Allen might take. Yet, it did not hurt him that much last season. Let’s take a look.
How James Cook Did Last Season
Cook started the 2023 season on an okay note, getting 10.3 points in the first week against the New York Jets. Then, he exploded in Week 2 with a 19.9-point effort against the Las Vegas Raiders. Cook hovered between 13 and 15 points over the next two weeks. However, things slowed down for him, as he had 5.1 fantasy points and 7.1 points against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants, respectively.
Cook responded positively in a showdown with the New England Patriots by rushing 13 times for 56 yards and catching three passes for 46 yards and a touchdown for 19.2 fantasy points. Unfortunately, he fell back down to Earth over the next two weeks before scoring 12 points in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos.
Things changed for Cook in Week 14 when he answered the call with 10 rushes for 58 yards, five catches for 83 yards, and a touchdown for 25.1 fantasy points against the Kansas City Chiefs. Then, he rushed 25 times for 179 yards and a touchdown while also finishing with 42 yards on three catches and a touchdown for a whopping 36.1 fantasy points.
Cook was quiet over the last three games, totaling 16.6 points. Despite that, he showed what he could do during the two weeks prior and hopes to become an every-week option by the end of the 2024 season.
Expected Production
What will determine how Cook will do will heavily weigh on how the Bills use him. Yes, he is the starting running back, and there will be a lot of design sweeps or runs up the middle. But the smart way for the Bills to utilize him would be to spread him out, throw some check downs, and let him work in space. This will especially be important when the Bills run into teams that are better at covering the pass, and they need to find ways to cut some chunks into the defense.
Cook finished the 2023 season with 237 rushes for 1,122 yards and two touchdowns while catching 44 passes for 445 yards with four touchdowns for a combined 232.7 fantasy points. We feel he can shatter that this season if he stays healthy over a full slate. Cook rushing for 244 attempts for 1,200 yards and catching 50 passes for 475 yards certainly seems like a possibility. Ultimately, he will be a strong piece for your team and evolve into one of the best players on your roster.
