Buffalo Bills running back James Cook dropped five passes last season, which ranked sixth among all qualified running backs. Early in offseason activities, the third-year pro out of Georgia has continued to struggle in that area, according to Bills reporter Alex Brasky. "James Cook allowed a pass to bounce off his hands, high into the air near the start of team drills at Wednesday's mandatory minicamp." Brasky wrote, "Cook encountered issues with drops last season and has done little to ramp down those concerns during offseason activities." While this is somewhat of a concern, it can often be overplayed when analyzing a player's fantasy football value. After catching 44 passes for 445 yards and ranking second among running backs in yards per reception, the team is unlikely to pull back his receiving workload. That said, rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis caught 62 passes over his final two collegiate seasons in the SEC and could become a factor on third downs.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook bounced back from being benched last year and enters his third season in the NFL in 2024 as the unquestioned lead back with a giant gap between him and either Ty Johnson or rookie Ray Davis. Cook should continue to push toward some of the heaviest involvement the Bills have seen in recent years out of their top back. Johnson's game is similar to Cook's, so he'll likely have a game-day role when Cook needs a breather. The Bills are hoping Davis can add power and short-yardage ability, something the team has been wanting to add for years to the backfield. The 24-year-old Cook had a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023 but added just two rushing TDs. What Cook lacks in scoring opportunities, he could make up for with his pass-catching abilities and sheer volume in 2024.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook started hot but faded late as his team was sent home in Sunday's 27-24 Divisional Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, carrying 18 times for 61 yards and catching four passes for 21 yards. With the Bills dominating on the ground in the first half, Cook picked up one chunk gain after another. But the Chiefs stiffened up to stifle Cook during the second half, leaving the 24-year-old with a fairly quiet evening despite his second straight week with 22 touches. Cook undoubtedly took a big step forward in 2023 -- garnering his first Pro Bowl nod and placing third at his position in scrimmage yards -- but his inability to find the end zone was a major shortcoming. Totaling five TDs on the season on 325 touches including the playoffs, Cook also failed to reach the 90-total-yard threshold in any of his final five appearances. That probably shouldn't prevent Cook from being selected as a top-12 fantasy RB, however, in 2024 drafts.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook totaled his highest yardage (84) and catch output (four) since Week 15 in last Monday's 31-17 wild-card victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, now putting up 18.8 touches for 62.5 scrimmage yards per game over his last four outings. On top of the 3.3 yards per touch paling in comparison to his regular-season 5.6 YPT, none of Cook's last 13 red-zone touches have resulted in a touchdown. The Kansas City Chiefs have been far leakier on the ground than through the air, however, tying for the fifth-most opponent yards per carry (4.4) in the regular season. With that said, K.C. let in the second-fewest rushing TDs (six) to opposing tailbacks this year. Cook torched the Chiefs for 141 yards and a score on just 15 totes when these sides battled in Week 14, ending as fantasy's PPR RB3 that week. Cook's $6,300 DraftKings salary is the sixth-highest figure among RBs for the Divisional Round, shaping up as a midrange RB1.
It was a pretty quiet day for Buffalo Bills running back James Cook when the team defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 in Monday's wild-card round, but he still put in 79 yards on 18 rushing attempts and chipped in four receptions for four yards. The Steelers mostly bottled Cook up despite missing all-world defender T.J. Watt (knee) on Monday, as the explosive 24-year-old tailback was only able to round up a long gain of 12 yards on the evening. After Cook's five-game frenzy between Weeks 10 through 15 saw him stockpile at least 100 scrimmage yards in each meeting, the wheels have started to fall off just a bit. Failing to find the end zone since the hot streak ended, Cook has also been unable to transcend the 80-yard marker on the ground during this four-game cold spell. Cook did tally a season-high 83 receiving yards in Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, who he will square off with in next Sunday's Divisional battle.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook handled a featured role fairly well this year, ending as fantasy's overall RB12 in PPR scoring and notching his first career Pro Bowl nod. Though Cook finished behind only Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall in scrimmage yards (1,567), he's sputtering a bit with just 154 rushing yards in his past three outings ahead of the postseason. It remains to be seen if the 24-year-old former second-rounder has maintained his grip on scoring-area work for Monday's wild-card matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers, considering he has zero touchdowns in his last three games despite 11 red-zone touches, but the concerning weather could force both sides to employ a run-heavy approach. At an affordable $6,600 price tag on DraftKings, Cook is firmly in play as an RB1 option with the Bills positioned as double-digit favorites at home against a middling Steelers defense without its heart and soul, T.J. Watt (knee).
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook struggled to gain traction as the team clinched the AFC East championship in Week 18's 21-14 win over the Miami Dolphins, rushing 13 times for 36 yards with three receptions for 16 yards. Cook is among the league leaders at the RB position in dropped passes, and his most notable play of the night was a lowlight. This latest miscue came in the end zone on a drop near the end of the second quarter, and the Bills would go on to come away from that drive empty-handed. The 24-year-old Georgia product has made great strides as an all-purpose back in his second season, but consistency has been a major issue. Cook has now collected just 166 scoreless scrimmage yards in his last three games after wreaking havoc with five straight 100-yard days. Buffalo hopes to get the best version of Cook when the Pittsburgh Steelers come to town for a Wild Card contest next Sunday.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is slowing up at the wrong time for fantasy managers after a sensational run of 462 rushing yards (80 carries) with 222 yards on 18 catches and four touchdowns through Weeks 10 to 14. Cook has totaled 118 scoreless ground yards with a loss of four yards on one catch in his past two games, which certainly wasn't what managers were looking for during the fantasy playoffs. The 24-year-old first-time Pro Bowler took a season-high five red-zone touches, however, in the Week 17 home win over the New England Patriots. That silver lining should bode well for Cook's TD prospects in what could be a high-scoring meeting for the AFC East title on Sunday night against the Miami Dolphins, which features the highest implied point total (48) that we'll find on the loaded 16-game slate. Trailing only Christian McCaffrey (calf) among tailbacks in total yards (1,515), Cook is a viable RB1 in Week 18.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has cooled off dramatically since a stellar five-game hot streak of at least 100 yards in each contest. Although the team found themselves in a run-heavy game script in Week 17's 27-21 win over the New England Patriots, Cook turned 16 carries into 48 scoreless yards and caught one of his three targets for a loss of four yards. New England bottled up the slippery Cook on Sunday, keeping him in check for a long gain of just eight yards. The 2022 second-rounder has certainly improved this season, but he just hasn't been able to find a knack for the end zone. It has seemingly kept Cook out of contention for bell-cow status in Buffalo's backfield all year, as he ceded seven RB opportunities in this one. Though his lack of receiving usage remains odd, Cook will remain an interesting RB1 bet next Sunday night in a potential shootout with the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook's red-hot five-game run of at least 100 total yards in each outing was extinguished last Saturday for 70 scoreless yards and a lost fumble. Even so, Cook registered his highest snap share (72.7%) of the campaign in Week 16. Leonard Fournette was finally promoted from Buffalo's practice squad ahead of that tilt, but he filled in for Ty Johnson and took Latavius Murray's role, handling five carries for 20 yards and not threatening Cook's workload. Cook has been one of the NFL's best all-purpose backs this year, ranking third in rushing yards (1,038) and receiving yards (443) with a highly efficient 10.8 yards per catch and 1.86 yards per route run. The 4-11 New England Patriots have yielded the fifth-most catches (83) to opposing RBs and Cook has two 100-yard days in three career meetings with New England, keeping him firmly in play as an RB1 with plenty of scoring upside at home in Week 17.
