Buffalo Bills running back James Cook caught one touchdown and ran for two more in the team's dominant victory over Miami on Thursday Night Football. He totaled 95 yards and is now an early favorite to be the RB1 in Week 2. Cook started the scoring with a 17-yard reception on fourth down on the Bills' first drive. A few drives later, Cook punched it in from the one-yard line, a rare site in his young career. Finally, he sprinted away from defenders on a 49-yard touchdown run up the middle. Cook has now matched his rushing touchdown total from last season. His night could have been bigger but the Bills remained up three touchdowns throughout the entire fourth quarter and let rookie Ray Davis burn the clock. Cook will be in the RB1 range when the Bills take the field against Jacksonville a week from Monday.
Sep 13, 2024 8:58 AM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook may not get the red zone opportunities that fantasy managers love, but he'll get plenty of touches elsewhere on the field. Although on the field for just over 60% of Buffalo's snaps in Week 1, James Cook dominated backfield touches. He carried the ball 19 times and caught three passes. Rookie Ray Davis got four touches while veteran Ty Johnson (knee) received two. The latter has been limited in practice. With offensive coordinator Joe Brady's reliance on the running game since he took the helm, Cook is in line for another 15-20 touch game. Consider Cook a low-end RB1 against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football.
Sep 11, 2024 2:40 PM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed for 71 yards on 19 attempts while adding 32 yards on three catches in the team's Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Cook dominated the running back touches (22), compared to four for rookie Ray Davis and two for Ty Johnson. Unfortunately, as was the story often in 2023, Josh Allen accounted for the team's two rushing touchdowns from within the 10-yard line. That left Cook with good yardage but no scores. Expect another game of 15-20 touches when the Bills take on the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. A lack of goal-line opportunities will continue to cap his upside.
Sep 8, 2024 8:12 PM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is again opening the season as the lead back in Buffalo. Despite concerns over touches near the endzone, Cook should be started in all fantasy football leagues. A low touchdown total (six) was the only blemish from Cook's RB12 finish from a season ago. He totaled 1,567 yards and caught 44 passes, despite only playing more than 70% of the team's snaps once. Cook could be even more involved in the passing game in 2024, with two of Buffalo's top target earners (Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis) on other rosters. The Cardinals ranked dead last in rushing yards allowed to running backs in 2023 (2,027) and surrendered eight receiving touchdowns to the position, the most in the NFL. Even if Cook is vultured by Josh Allen or rookie Ray Davis in the red zone, it should still be a productive day for fantasy football.
Sep 6, 2024 10:46 AM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook got involved in Saturday night's preseason victory over the hosting Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, rushing six times for 25 yards in the win. Cook tacked on a six-yard catch on Saturday against Pittsburgh, running for a long gain of eight yards. The star third-year back trailed only superstars Christian McCaffrey and Breece Hall among RBs with 1,567 yards from scrimmage in 17 games as Buffalo's lead back last season, but even though incumbent veteran Latavius Murray is no longer around to vulture touchdowns from him, Cook now has rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis to worry about in the backfield this fall. Davis is a threat to siphon the occasional carry on early downs and also has pass-catching ability, but Cook will start the season as a surefire RB2 option in what became a run-heavy Bills offense during the second half of last year.
Aug 17, 2024 10:38 PM EST
A slight trend that has taken shape for Buffalo Bills starting running back James Cook in training camp this summer has been some ball-security issues near the end of his plays. On a handful of occasions, Cook has allowed the football to hit the ground, and it happened twice at practice on Wednesday. However, The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia wouldn't expect it to impact Cook's time on the field at this point. However, that could change if his ball-security issues carry into the regular season. For now, Cook is still the team's unquestioned RB1 by a good margin, and it will remain that way until further notice. The 24-year-old had four fumbles in 2023. Power running isn't Cook's forte, but he's a strong pass-catcher and should be more valuable as a high-end RB2 in point-per-reception leagues going into his third year in the NFL.
Aug 10, 2024 1:07 PM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook missed practice on Sunday due to a personal matter and has returned on Monday morning. His absence was excused on Sunday, so the likely starting running back is back on the field. Cook posted 1122 yards on 237 attempts and two touchdowns on the ground and 445 yards on 44 receptions with four scores. He had plenty of goal-line chances stolen by Josh Allen quarterback keepers, so Cook does have the potential to find the endzone a bit more this season. As of right now, Rotoballer has him ranked as the 15th-best RB in PPR formats. He'll see most of the groundwork with Ty Johnson as his main backup.
Jul 29, 2024 9:34 AM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (personal) was excused from Sunday's training camp practice for personal reasons. It's unknown how long Cook might be away from the team, but it's nothing that is going to affect his fantasy value heading into the 2024 season. The 24-year-old former second-round selection (63rd overall) in the 2022 NFL draft out of Georgia took on a much larger role in his sophomore season in 2023 and earned his first Pro Bowl nod, carrying the ball 237 times for 1,122 yards and just two touchdowns. He added 44 receptions on 54 targets for 445 additional yards and four touchdowns through the air. Cook heads into his third year in the league as Buffalo's unquestioned lead back. He does not thrive between the tackles and will probably never have a high TD ceiling with quarterback Josh Allen vulturing goal-line carries. Cook is more attractive in PPR formats and is listed as RotoBaller's No. 15 fantasy RB.
Jul 28, 2024 1:54 PM EST
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.
Jun 12, 2024 4:36 PM EST
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.
May 9, 2024 2:20 PM EST
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.
Jan 22, 2024 12:31 AM EST
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.
Jan 20, 2024 12:49 AM EST
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.
Jan 16, 2024 12:20 AM EST
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).
Jan 14, 2024 1:15 AM EST
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.
Jan 8, 2024 1:23 AM EST
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.
Jan 5, 2024 11:59 PM EST
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.
Jan 1, 2024 2:43 AM EST
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.
Dec 29, 2023 11:48 PM EST
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook administered a 221-yard volley last Sunday but stumbled as his team escaped with a 24-22 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, rushing 20 times for 70 scoreless yards. The 24-year-old ran well in the first half before fumbling the football on Buffalo's first play of the second half, but fullback Reggie Gilliam fell on top of it to bail him out. Cook's second mishandled ball was of greater consequence; it was recovered by the Chargers for great field position and led to a go-ahead Bolts field goal. Perhaps something about SoFi Stadium gives Cook the jitters, as the second-year back fumbled on his first career touch in the same building and was promptly doghoused last season. Though it wasn't the curtain call fantasy managers may have envisioned after Cook's Week 15 blitz, the former second-rounder can be trusted as an RB1 at home in Week 17 versus the New England Patriots.
Dec 24, 2023 12:00 AM EST
On the heels of a 221-yard showcase last Sunday, Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (illness) won't let an illness cost him a Week 16 matchup with a Los Angeles Chargers team that sports one of the NFL's worst defenses. Collecting 21.0 touches for 141.1 total yards per game with four total touchdowns since offensive coordinator Joe Brady took over in Week 11, Cook has registered four straight finishes as fantasy's RB12 or better in full-PPR scoring. Cook's Week 10 fumble may have been the best thing that could have happened; he's rattled off five consecutive 100-yard showings ever since. The 24-year-old is now up to second in rushing yards (968) and yards per catch (10.9) among RBs after Week 15's surge. The Bolts have yielded the second-most catches to RBs (90). Cook may not be a workhorse as the leader of a backfield committee with Latavius Murray and Ty Johnson, but he's in the top-five RB1 conversation on Saturday.
Dec 22, 2023 11:23 PM EST
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