Cook has the chance to emerge as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues, and he's worth drafting as early as Round 6. His training camp battle with Damien Harris will be one to watch, and hopefully Cook proves to be Buffalo's best running back this year. Latavius Murray could also frustratingly be in the mix for the Bills, but Cook should have the most upside of this group. Cook shared playing time as a rookie in 2022 but had four games with double digits in carries, and he scored 16 PPR points in two of them. The Bills don't throw a lot of passes to their backs -- Devin Singletary's best season was 40 receptions in 2021 -- but maybe Cook's receiving prowess changes that. He also has to contend with Josh Allen stealing rushing touchdowns, along with Harris and Murray. Still, as a second-year running back, Cook could prove to be the best running back Buffalo has had in the Allen era. With enough work, Cook could have a breakout campaign in 2023.
In two games since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator for Ken Dorsey, Cook has scored at least 16 PPR points in each outing against the Jets and Eagles. The best part is his role in the passing game with nine catches for 86 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and hopefully that becomes a staple of this offense to close the season. Cook also has 33 carries over that span, and he should remain heavily involved in Week 14 at Kansas City in a potential shootout. The Chiefs have allowed a running back to score at least 13.5 PPR points in five of their past six games, and Cook will hopefully stay hot coming off Buffalo's bye.
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Bills' James Cook: Triple-digit scrimmage yards Sunday
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Cook carried the ball 16 times for 43 yards and caught six of seven targets for 57 yards in Sunday's 37-34 overtime loss to the Eagles.
The catches and receiving yards were career highs for the second-year running back, as Cook reached the century mark in scrimmage yards for the third straight game and the sixth time in 12 contests this season. Buffalo will be on bye next week, but Cook will head into a Week 14 trip to Kansas City having already recorded a 1,000-yard campaign for the first time with 731 rushing yards and 308 receiving yards. A lack of touchdowns -- he has only three, one on the ground and two through the air -- is all that's keeping the 2022 second-round pick from elite status at his position.
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Bills' James Cook: RBs to Sit
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Cook has played well in the past two games against Denver and the Jets with at least 12 PPR points in each outing, including scoring just his third touchdown of the season against the Jets in Week 12. But this matchup against the Eagles is daunting since Philadelphia is No. 1 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs, and Cook might be sharing touches with Latavius Murray and Ty Johnson. Cook is still useful as a flex option in all leagues, but I don't have high expectations for him playing at Philadelphia this week.
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Bills' James Cook: Gets into end zone against Jets
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Cook carried the ball 17 times for 73 yards and caught three of four targets for 29 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 32-6 win over the Jets.
He was on the end of a five-yard TD from Josh Allen late in the second quarter to give the Bills a 16-0 lead they were never in any danger of relinquishing. With new offensive coordinator Joe Brady in charge, Cook saw at least 20 touches for the first time since Week 2, an encouraging development after the second-year RB had averaged only 12.8 over the prior six games, but he'll face a tough test on the road in Week 12 against an Eagles defense that had allowed the fewest scrimmage yards in the league to running backs coming into this week.
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Bills' James Cook: Eclipses century mark in loss
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Cook rushed 12 times for 109 yards and brought in both of his targets for 11 yards in the Bills' 24-22 loss to the Broncos on Monday night. He also committed two fumbles, losing one and recovering the other.
Cook was able to get over the 100-yard mark for only the second time this season, with the second-year back accomplishing the feat courtesy of a clutch 42-yard yard run on the Bills' final possession that saw him recover his own fumble during the play and advance the ball another 29 yards. Cook was also part of a bumbled exchange with quarterback Josh Allen, one that won't go on his ledger but was another costly mistake for the Bills. However, Cook's statistical surge was an especially welcome sight after he mustered only 39 total yards on 10 touches in Week 9 against the Bengals. While he's still sitting on just two total touchdowns this season, Cook will head into a Week 11 home divisional clash with the Jets boasting plenty of momentum thanks to Monday's performance, assuming he can get past the ball security issues and the Buffalo coaching staff doesn't penalize him for that part of his performance.
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Bills' James Cook: Disappointing numbers in loss
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Cook rushed six times for 20 yards and brought in all four targets for 19 yards in the Bills' 24-18 loss to the Bengals on Sunday night.
Cook's role on the ground was especially reduced with the Bills trailing for nearly the entire contest, and he couldn't fully make up for it with his work in the passing game. The talented second-year pro's carry total was his second lowest of the season, but Cook could have a much better opportunity for rushing production against a vulnerable Broncos run defense in a Week 10 home matchup Monday night, Nov. 13.
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Bills' James Cook: Takes on main role in Week 8 win
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Cook carried 14 times for 67 yards and caught his only target for six yards in Thursday's 24-18 win over Tampa Bay.
Cook saw 14 carries to Latavius Murray's five, but quarterback Josh Allen always has the ability to hone in on the run game, as the latter posted a 7-41-1 line on the ground. In fact, Allen has more rushing touchdowns (5) than every other Bills player combined this season. As for Cook, his 4.8 yards per carry is great and he's got a decent role in the passing game with 18 catches on the season, plus he's the main ball carrier, but touchdowns will be tricky to come by even with Damien Harris (neck) out of action because there are so many other talents in the offense. Cook's high in carries for the season is 17, back in Week 2.
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Bills' James Cook: Catches TD in Week 7 loss
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Cook rushed 13 times for 56 yards while catching all three of his targets for 46 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 29-25 loss to the Patriots.
Cook caught an eight-yard touchdown in the third quarter, marking his second scrimmage touchdown of the season. He also topped 100 scrimmage yards for the third time this season while continuing to lead a Buffalo backfield that will be without Damien Harris (neck/concussion) for at least three additional games, including Thursday's upcoming home game against the Buccaneers. Latavius Murray turned six touches into 28 scrimmage yards while spelling Cook.
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Bills' James Cook: RBs to Start
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Cook just had his worst game of the season in Week 5 against Jacksonville in London with five carries for minus-4 yards and three catches for 25 yards on four targets. He only scored 5.1 PPR points, after scoring at least 13.2 PPR points in each of his three previous games. He should return to that level of production in Week 6 against the Giants, who are No. 6 in most Fantasy points allowed to running backs. A running back has scored at least 13.9 PPR points against the Giants in every game this season (Tony Pollard, James Conner, Christian McCaffrey, Kenneth Walker III, De'Von Achane and Raheem Mostert), and I expect Cook to finish as a quality No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues against this defense.
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Bills' James Cook: Stuffed by Jags
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Cook lost four yards on five carries and caught three of four targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Jaguars.
The Bills' entire offense was completely flat for nearly the whole first half, and quarterback Josh Allen took matters into his own hands after halftime, so Cook didn't get much of a chance to improve his numbers. It's the second-year back's worst performance of the season, but he should be able to rebound in Week 6 against a vulnerable Giants run defense.
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Bills' James Cook: RBs to Start
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Cook scored his first touchdown of the season in Week 4 against Miami, which saved his production since he was held to 12 carries for 29 yards and one catch for 48 yards on one target. Prior to that, Cook had at least 112 total yards in each of his previous two games against Las Vegas and Washington, and I expect him to rebound in that area against Jacksonville in Week 5. The Jaguars have allowed Dameon Pierce and Bijan Robinson to each score at least 14.9 PPR points in the past two games, and Cook should be considered a borderline No. 1 running back in PPR in this game in London.
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Bills' James Cook: Scores first TD of season
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Cook rushed 12 times for 29 yards and a touchdown and brought in his only target for a 48-yard gain in the Bills' 48-20 win over the Dolphins on Sunday.
Cook had his roughest day on the ground on the season from an efficiency perspective, but he partly made up for it by finally finding the end zone in 2023 on a one-yard run late in the first quarter that survived a replay review. His big 48-yard grab also was instrumental in an early third-quarter drive that culminated in a Tyler Bass 33-yard field goal that extended Buffalo's lead to 34-20. Cook continues to contribute explosive plays each week, but he could have another uphill battle for rushing yards in a Week 5 matchup against the Jaguars in London.
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Bills' James Cook: Effective running but still no TDs
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Cook rushed 15 times for 98 yards and caught two of three targets for 14 yards in Sunday's 37-3 win over Washington.
Cook easily led the Bills in both carries and rushing yards, but he watched Latavius Murray score on the ground from in close for the second consecutive game. Along with Murray's two touchdowns, Buffalo has a rushing touchdown apiece from Damien Harris and quarterback Josh Allen through three weeks, while Cook has yet to find the end zone in 2023. The elusive second-year running back is averaging 89 rushing yards through three games, and Cook should continue to handle the majority of backfield touches in Week 4 against the Dolphins.
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Bills' James Cook: Not spotted at practice
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Cook (undisclosed) wasn't spotted during the open portion of Thursday's practice, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
Cook wasn't listed on Wednesday's injury report, so it remains to be seen if the running back is dealing with an injury of some sort as Sunday's game against the Commanders approaches. Thursday's looming injury report will add some clarity on that front.
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Bills' James Cook: RBs to Start
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Cook lost out on two short-yardage touchdowns in Week 2 against Las Vegas, which went to Damien Harris and Latavius Murray, but Cook still had a breakout game against the Raiders. He had 17 carries for 123 yards and four catches for 36 yards on four targets, and he now has at least 16 total touches in each of the first two games, with eight catches on 10 targets. He's also clearly the lead running back when it comes to playing time, and the only flaw is the lack of goal-line work. The touchdowns will come, and hopefully he'll score this week against the Commanders. I like Cook as a No. 1 running back in PPR in Week 3.
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Bills' James Cook: Erupts for 159 total yards
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Cook rushed the ball 17 times for 123 yards and no touchdowns in Sunday's 38-10 win over the Raiders. He added four receptions on four targets for 36 yards.
Cook tallied the first 100-yard rushing performance of his pro career, which was powered by long gains of 36, 16 and 14 yards. While he held up his end of the deal, Cook's usage was somewhat concerning, as Latavius Murray and Damien Harris combined to tally 13 carries with each also finding the end zone. It's possible that game script had something to do with the rotation at the position, but it will be an ongoing situation worth monitoring. Despite that lingering question, Cook has racked up 225 total yards through two games this season and has proven to be a worthy contributor in the Bills' offense.
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Bills' James Cook: RBs to Sit
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I expect Cook to be the lead running back in Buffalo this season, but given the matchup, I would like to see what the backfield split looks like in Week 1 at the Jets before starting Cook in all leagues. At best, he should be used as a flex, with his value slightly higher in PPR. Damien Harris could play a prominent role, especially at the goal line, and we know Josh Allen remains a factor there is well. Since the Jets defense is dominant up front, Cook might find running lanes hard to come by, and we'll see how much he's used in the passing game this week. The Jets also come into this game having not allowed a running back to score a touchdown in five games in a row.
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Bills' James Cook: Looks good as starter
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Cook started the Bills' preseason opener against the Colts on Saturday, rushing for 20 yards and a touchdown on four carries before exiting with the rest of the first team.
Cook got to work quickly after the Bills' defense gifted the offense with excellent field position by picking off rookie QB Anthony Richardson in Colts' territory. The 23-year-old handled all three rushing attempts on the ensuing drive, with the third being punched in for an eight-yard score. Cook was not targeted as a passer, but he may be forced to show us that part of his game following the announcement that Bills receiving back Nyheim Hines (knee) will miss the entire 2023 season. The other veteran back the front office brought in to compete with Cook, Damien Harris (knee), did not play Saturday and the team has yet to update the status of his knee injury. What once looked like a crowded backfield has suddenly opened up for Cook, which boosts his fantasy value as leagues are gearing to kick off.
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Bills' James Cook: Scores in Sunday's win
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Cook rushed 12 times for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-31 win over the Dolphins in the wild-card round.
Cook took a handoff 12 yards to help double Buffalo's lead during the first quarter. Although he also had a 13-yard rush, Cook found little room to maneuver on his other carries. Meanwhile, teammate Devin Singletary rushed 10 times for 48 yards. As the Bills now advance to the AFC divisional round, expect Cook and Singletary to continuing sharing snaps alongside quarterback Josh Allen.
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Bills' James Cook: Outplays Singletary in Week 18 win
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Cook rushed nine times for 45 yards and caught both of his targets for six yards in Sunday's 35-23 win over the Patriots.
Cook was more effective than Devin Singletary, who mustered only 32 yards on eight touches and lost a fumble. After being used sparingly to start the season, the rookie second-round pick out of Georgia started to take on a larger share of Buffalo's backfield touches down the stretch, with 338 of Cook's 507 rushing yards coming in his last seven games. Cook and Singletary will likely continue to split carries in the wild-card round against the Dolphins.
