James Cook III Fantasy Stats

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III has not been present for the team's OTA practices this week, according to Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com, and third-year RB Frank Gore Jr. has stood out in his absence. Gore looked "explosive and decisive" while running through holes. Although OTAs are voluntary in the offseason, it's notable that Cook is a no-show, especially after already signing a four-year, $46 million contract extension last summer. Cook may already be unhappy with his contract after all of De'Von Achane, Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall, and Travis Etienne Jr. were given bigger deals this offseason. The three-time Pro Bowler led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards on a career-high 309 carries last year while scoring 12 touchdowns in 17 regular-season games to finish as the RB5 in half-PPR scoring. He also had 33 catches for 291 receiving yards and two touchdowns through the air. Cook has now scored on the ground 28 times in the last two seasons, and he'll continue to be viewed as a top-five fantasy RB with QB Josh Allen leading an explosive offense behind a strong offensive line.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III earned second-team All-Pro honors for his work in 2025, recording 1,912 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns on 342 touches across 17 games. The 26-year-old has been a highly productive player for Buffalo in all four of his NFL seasons. However, the Bills significantly upped Cook III's usage in 2025, as his 20.1 touches per game were nearly four more than his previous career high of 16.5. Buffalo failed to make any significant additions to their backfield in either free agency or the draft, putting Cook III in a position to dominate touches once again in 2026. Given the strong offensive environment around Cook III in Buffalo, there's little reason to think he won't continue to provide high-end RB1 production for dynasty managers for years to come as he enters his age-27 season.

Although Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was a highly productive player in his first three NFL seasons, he took his game to a new level in 2025. Across 17 games, the 26-year-old recorded 1,912 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns on 342 touches. Cook has always been an extremely efficient rusher, but the Bills coaching staff finally entrusted him with a true RB1 workload in 2025. Cook averaged 20.1 touches per game last season, well beyond his previous career-high of 16.5 touches per game in 2023. While the Bills shook up their coaching staff heading into 2026, former offensive coordinator Joe Brady is now the head coach in Buffalo and appears unlikely to drastically alter Cook's usage. Entering his age-27 season with an excellent offensive environment around him in Buffalo, Cook profiles as an elite dynasty running back.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been trending up in fantasy football year after year. He opened his career as the RB44 as a rookie in 2022, but he has been a top-12 fantasy running back every season since then. He jumped to the ranking of overall RB6 last year, carrying the Bills' offense with 1,621 rushing yards, 291 receiving yards, and 14 touchdowns. Before the season, critics forecasted touchdown regression for Cook. While his touchdown total did scale back slightly from 18 to 14, he was still highly productive around the goal line, and he handled a new career-high rushing workload. The Bills underwent a coaching staff shakeup during the offseason, but new head coach Joe Brady was formerly Buffalo's offensive coordinator, so we don't expect the offense to look too different next year. Cook should continue to operate as the every-down back, rarely ceding touches to Ty Johnson and Ray Davis. He continues to have top-five upside in redraft and dynasty formats.

The Buffalo Bills are in win-now mode, and running back James Cook is one of their primary weapons on offense behind Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen. Cook made his third straight Pro Bowl in 2025 in his fourth year in the NFL and had a career year, leading the league in rushing yardage (1,621) with 12 rushing touchdowns on a career-high 309 carries in 17 regular-season starts. The 26-year-old led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2024 and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The former second-round pick in 2022 out of Georgia finished as the RB5 in half-PPR scoring in 2025, behind only Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs. In addition to his big numbers on the ground, Cook added 33 receptions for 291 yards and another two touchdowns through the air. Cook will go into the 2026 campaign as the clear workhorse for a Bills' offense that led the league with 159.6 rushing yards per game last year. He'll give fantasy managers a strong floor as a high-end RB1 this fall.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook solidified himself as one of the NFL's best running backs in 2025, racking up 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on 309 carries across 17 games. The 26-year-old also impacted the game as a receiver, hauling in 33 receptions for 291 yards and two scores. Cook III has always been an efficient player, but he was able to reach new production heights in 2025 thanks to an increase in workload. After logging 239 touches across 16 games played in 2024, Cook III recorded 342 touches in 2025 and still averaged a highly efficient 5.6 yards per touch. Cook III signed a four-year extension with Buffalo before the start of the 2025 season, so he's locked in as the team's lead rusher for the foreseeable future. The Bills also promoted former offensive coordinator Joe Brady to head coach, so it seems unlikely that the team would radically shift its offensive approach going forward. Now that he's proven he can handle a significant workload, Cook III profiles as a high-end running back option for fantasy managers in dynasty formats.

After finishing the regular season with an NFL-best 1,621 rushing yards, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had an underwhelming outing in his first game of the postseason. The 26-year-old was held to just 46 rushing yards on 15 carries and five receiving yards on two catches by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cook's regular-season track record should afford him the benefit of the doubt from fantasy managers. However, he will face another very difficult run defense in the Divisional round when Buffalo travels to Denver to take on the Broncos. The Broncos defense finished the regular season ranked third in the NFL in yards per carry allowed (3.9) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed (11). Additionally, Buffalo's already depleted pass-catching corps lost another two wide receivers in Gabe Davis (knee) and Tyrell Shavers (knee), who both suffered season-ending knee injuries in the Wild Card round. As a result, Denver could be even more geared up to stop Cook and take away the run. Cook remains a high-end running back option, but fantasy managers may want to downgrade expectations heading into the Divisional round.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook took two carries for 15 yards in an abbreviated appearance in the team's Week 18 win over the Jets. It was enough to keep distance between him and a surging Derrick Henry, with Cook ultimately securing his first regular-season rushing crown with 1,621 yards. Heading into the postseason, he should be viewed as one of the highest upside running backs in fantasy playoff leagues. Buffalo currently holds the fourth-highest Super Bowl odds in a wide-open AFC and is a slight road favorite over a 13-4 Jacksonville team that has been a headache for fantasy running backs throughout most of the season. Despite the tough matchup, Cook is RotoBaller's RB2 for the week, and he could be in line for a massive postseason if Buffalo can advance.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was dominant in Week 16's win over the Cleveland Browns, totaling 134 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on just 17 touches. Cook has ascended once again in the 2025 season, jumping from 79.2 scrimmage yards per game in 2024 to 121.3 this season. He currently leads the NFL in rushing yards and ranks RB6 in PPR formats. The Bills host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to running backs this season. While star defensive tackle Jalen Carter will be active this week for the Eagles, Cook and the Bills are running the ball with ease, so fantasy managers should expect more dominance from the fourth-year back.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook had 16 carries, 117 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns during Sunday's Week 16 win over the Cleveland Browns. He also converted two targets into one catch for 17 receiving yards. Cook's quest for the NFL rushing title continued against a Browns defense that has been absolutely ripped apart by opposing running backs over the last three weeks. Buffalo's primary ball-carrier now has 14 touchdowns and over 1,800 scrimmage yards on the year, including five trips to the end zone in his last two games. Preseason concerns that Cook was due for regression have been completely unfounded, as he remains one of the top fantasy running backs while continuing to play a massive role around the goal line. He's a very strong RB1 option with a high ceiling heading into Week 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles.