James Cook III Fantasy Stats

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III tore through Detroit in Week 2, carrying 21 times for 135 yards and a touchdown in the 41-31 win. He had already crossed 100 yards before halftime and finished with 139 yards from scrimmage after adding one catch for four yards. Los Angeles did a much better job against the run last week, holding Ashton Jeanty to 48 yards on 21 carries, so Cook is not walking into the same setup he had against Detroit. Buffalo's offense is operating at such a high level that the matchup only matters so much. Cook remains the clear lead back, and his 21 carries last week were a good sign even with Josh Allen continuing to handle some of the work near the goal line. RotoBaller has Cook at RB7 for Week 3. He remains an RB1 against the Chargers.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III put up a huge game in his team's 41-31 Week 2 win over the Detroit Lions, recording 21 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown. It was a nice bounce-back performance for the 26-year-old, who was held to 69 yards from scrimmage on 16 touches by the Houston Texans in Buffalo's season-opener. Cook III's fantasy production is impacted by the presence of Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who had two rushing touchdowns against Detroit and continues to be Buffalo's preferred option in short-yardage situations. Still, Cook III was the only Bills running back to receive a carry in Week 2, even in a game that his team largely controlled for 60 minutes. Buffalo's offense also looks like one of the best units in football so far, which should give Cook III plenty of chances to score touchdowns. Entering the Bills' Week 3 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, Cook III remains a clear fantasy RB1.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III ran 13 times for 57 yards and finished with 69 total yards against Houston, but nothing about his role should worry fantasy managers. He was on the field for 72% of Buffalo's offensive snaps and clearly remained the lead option. Josh Allen simply handled the rushing touchdowns himself. Cook gets Detroit on Thursday with Buffalo expected to move the ball again, and Ty Johnson is questionable with a hamstring injury. That could leave even less competition behind him than usual. Cook also caught both of his targets in the opener, so he does not need a rushing touchdown to salvage his week. RotoBaller ranks him RB6 for Week 2. Allen is always going to steal some work near the goal line, but Cook's workload is plenty strong enough to keep him in the RB1 range against Detroit.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries during Sunday's Week 1 win over the Houston Texans. He also caught three of his four targets for an additional 12 receiving yards. The Bills eked out a win, but it mostly came on the shoulders of the passing attack, as Josh Allen threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns. Allen also vultured two rushing touchdowns from Cook. The 26-year-old ball-carrier was the overall RB6 with 17.8 fantasy points per game last season, so fantasy managers would have liked to see him replicate that level of production in Week 1. With that being said, the Texans have one of the best defensive fronts in football, so we understand why Cook had trouble getting going on the ground. He'll have another tough test next week against the Detroit Lions, who just held the Saints' running backs to a total of 80 rushing yards.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III returns to Houston after rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries against the Texans last November. Cook went on to lead the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards in 2025, averaging 5.2 yards per carry while scoring 12 times on the ground. He also caught 33 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns, giving him another path to production in a difficult Week 1 matchup. Houston allowed only 1,593 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns last season while holding opponents to 4.0 yards per carry. Cook's lead role remains secure, even with Ray Davis and Ty Johnson behind him, and Johnson enters the weekend questionable with a hamstring injury. RotoBaller ranks Cook RB11 for Week 1. His volume and big-play ability keep him in the low-end RB1 range despite the strength of Houston's front.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III led the league last year in rushing with 1,621 rushing yards on 309 carries, but look for him this season to be more involved in the passing game and be more explosive overall. According to a Sports Illustrated article, Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael hinted that Cook was heavily involved in the run game last season and could see a reduction to his workload as a result of increased passing work. That's good news for Cook's health and a boost to fantasy managers with a big season upcoming due to potential big plays in the passing game with Josh Allen running the offense under new coach Joe Brady. Cook looks locked and loaded as a first round pick and this only increases his value. Last year, Cook had 33 catches for 291 yards and two receiving TDs. Look for those numbers to skyrocket this season if he stays healthy.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III has been a top-eight fantasy option each of the last two seasons, and he shows no signs of slowing down ahead of the 2026 campaign. Cook rushed for a career-high 1,621 yards last year, added another 33 catches and 291 receiving yards, and scored 14 total touchdowns. His touchdown total dipped slightly from 2025 to 2026, but he improved in every other category. In addition to the overall counting stats, we're very impressed by the fact that he rushed for 5.25 yards per carry, which is the highest mark since his rookie campaign in 2022. Last year, fantasy managers said they were concerned about drafting Cook because he was due for touchdown regression and was going to lose volume to Josh Allen in the rushing game. Neither of those things happened, and even though Allen remains a presence in the rushing attack for 2026, this backfield belongs to Cook. He's an every-down back who should command a ton of volume (including around the goal line) in a very powerful offense. That's a recipe for success in fantasy football, and it's why Cook is a consensus first-round pick in drafts once again. Specifically, he ranks as the RB5 in RotoBaller's latest redraft rankings.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III has finished as a top-10 running back in overall scoring in back-to-back seasons. He has rushed for 2,630 yards on 516 carries with 28 touchdowns across 33 games. In addition, Cook won the rushing title last year with 1,621 rushing yards. The 26-year-old has proven he can be a top fantasy producer by relying on his rushing production. However, Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has hinted that the Bills will look to use him more in the passing game this year, according to Alex Brasky of Sports Illustrated. Cook was labeled the best receiving running back in the 2022 NFL Draft coming out of Georgia due to his skillful route running and excellent hands. Conversely, Cook has mainly operated as an early-down runner and a goal-line back near the end zone. If Cook gets more involved in the passing game, it could boost him into a top 3 overall finisher at the position this season.

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael has hinted that the Buffalo Bills will look to use running back James Cook III more in the passing game this year, per Alex Brasky of Sports Illustrated. "Anytime you can get the ball in his hands, you have an opportunity for a big play. I think that he can bring value, not only in the run game and the pass game as well," Carmichael said. Cook led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards and also scored 12 touchdowns on a career-high 309 carries in 17 regular-season games last year, adding 33 receptions for 291 yards and another two scores as a pass-catcher. It was a big year for the 26-year-old, but new head coach Joe Brady has hinted at the possibility of Buffalo lightening Cook's rushing load going into his fifth season in the league. One way to have Cook take less of a beating would be to cut back on his carries and give him more work in the passing game. Even if Cook's overall rushing workload drops, he could easily finish as a top-five RB in fantasy if he adds more targets in the passing game in Buffalo. The three-time Pro Bowler has had a nose for the end zone the last two years, scoring 28 rushing touchdowns after finding paydirt just four times as a rusher in his first two years in the league.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III led the NFL in rushing last year with 1,621 yards and 12 touchdowns on 309 carries in 17 regular-season games, with the Bills rushing the ball 52.4% of the time under offensive coordinator Joe Brady. The offense has leaned more heavily on the running game since Brady took over play-calling duties in Week 11 of 2023, but Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com questions whether the Bills will throw more under Brady in 2026. "I don't think you ever go into each game with a mindset of, 'This is how many carries he's going to have.' But it does pile up throughout the season, and I give him a lot of credit," said Brady. "I would love to be able to get Ray Davis, Ty Johnson, Frank Gore Jr., those guys involved, and I hope those opportunities come up this year. James was just playing at such a high level last year. And this year again we're looking at everything." Cook is a three-time Pro Bowler who runs behind an elite offensive line, but fantasy managers may want to expect some regression in the rushing department in 2026, especially since the Bills made a concerted effort to upgrade their receiving room in the offseason. Don't forget that Cook had just four rushing touchdowns in his first two NFL seasons, then exploded for 28 rushing TDs in the last two seasons.