- James Cook tied the league lead in speeding touchdowns: He was tied with Derrick Henry and Jahmyr Gibbs for probably the most speeding touchdowns final season regardless of incomes noticeably fewer carries than the 2 different backs.
- Will his contract state of affairs affect his play?: The Buffalo Bills prolonged a number of gamers however not Cook. This might encourage Cook to have his finest season but, however it might additionally result in a holdout and lacking time.
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Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
PFF’s Fantasy Football Player Profile collection delivers probably the most in-depth fantasy soccer evaluation out there for the 2025 season.
Using PFF’s unique information, we consider participant efficiency, competitors for touches and the way teammates and training staffs will affect every participant’s fantasy soccer outlook.
Last up to date: 7:15 a.m. Saturday, May 17
Player efficiency
James Cook was a backup in his first season with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted within the second spherical. He did an excellent job of breaking out lengthy runs that permit the staff be snug sufficient to make him the starter.
In 2023, Cook was a good fantasy starter, ending at RB19 in factors per sport and twelfth in whole factors. He nonetheless did a pleasant job of constructing lengthy runs however wasn’t hitting house runs practically as typically. Cook’s manufacturing within the passing sport translated to a bigger pattern measurement, though he additionally dropped extra passes and fumbles, which damage his grade.
Cook’s huge downside was his speeding landing whole. When the Bills had been on the one-yard line, Josh Allen ran the ball six occasions, different operating backs on the roster ran the ball seven occasions, and Cook ran the ball as soon as, leading to a landing. Similarly, from the two-to-five-yard vary, Allen ran eight occasions, different operating backs rushed the ball 9 occasions, and Cook ran 4 occasions for no scores.
Cook graded higher in 2024 than 2023 however was given fewer alternatives. He fumbled the ball much less, dropped fewer passes and earned extra 15-plus-yard runs, which helped his grade and EPA. His receiving manufacturing was noticeably damage by fewer snaps in two-minute drills and on third downs. However, he greater than made up for it together with his landing totals. The Bills moved on from Latavius Murray and Leonard Fournette, who had been each taller, larger backs that made sense on the purpose line, permitting Cook extra alternatives. He ran the ball 4 occasions from the one-yard line, main to a few touchdowns. Cook additionally ran 11 of a potential 20 occasions from the two-to-five-yard line, main to a different 4 touchdowns. While different operating backs acquired a couple of carries every, it was notable that Allen ran much less typically in these conditions.
Cook additionally ran for 9 touchdowns when he was six or extra yards away from scoring, which tied Saquon Barkley for the league lead. That was simply probably the most for a operating again this previous season, however most by a again in a season since 2008, additionally tying Derrick Henry in 2019. Most of the backs on the leaderboard had been among the many league leaders in carries for his or her season, and Cook wasn’t anyplace near that mark. While Cook ought to nonetheless see loads of brief touchdowns and some lengthy ones, this quantity ought to regress fairly considerably. The excessive speeding landing did assist him to 0.95 fantasy factors per speeding try, which led the league final season.
Projected function
The Bills saved the identical three operating backs as final season, so we will anticipate the gamers to be usually in the identical roles. The staff introduced again Darrynton Evans, fullback Reggie Gilliam and apply squad participant Frank Gore Jr., so even the blockers and insurance coverage insurance policies are acquainted faces.
One query is whether or not Ray Davis can earn a bigger function. His utilization was very constant all through the season, typically enjoying between 10-20 snaps per sport, extra typically in wins than losses, and doing an excellent job in Cook’s absence in Week 6. While Davis made a couple of huge performs all through the season, Cook graded notably higher and doesn’t seem like in peril of dropping important snaps. He was already fairly properly rested final season, as Ty Johnson took extra passing-down work than the yr earlier than whereas Davis performed roughly two drives per sport. If something, based mostly on participant grades, we must always anticipate Cook to see extra alternatives this season.
The Bills spent quite a lot of the offseason re-signing their very own gamers, together with Josh Allen, Khalil Shakir, Terrel Bernard, Greg Rousseau, Reid Ferguson and Christian Benford, however that didn’t embrace Cook, who’s coming into the ultimate season of his contract. We’ve seen gamers play notably properly in contract years to allow them to earn a bigger contract, and we’ve additionally seen gamers maintain out, which has led to both lacking time in the course of the season or not enjoying as properly because of the holdout. It’s potential the Bills work Cook additional exhausting this season as a result of they know they received’t re-sign him, or they may additionally play Davis extra to see if Davis might deal with the workload in the event that they don’t re-sign Cook. The holdout provides to the variability round Cook’s fantasy manufacturing this season.
Impact of teammates
Cook will proceed enjoying underneath Joe Brady as his offensive coordinator. The change to Brady has probably helped greater than it has damage Cook’s fantasy worth. The staff turned rather more balanced underneath Brady, resulting in much more speeding makes an attempt. However, Brady has additionally shifted the Bills additional towards a committee strategy. Ideally, Cook might be a function again in a balanced offense, however Cook remains to be usually producing extra fantasy worth than Devin Singletary did earlier than Cook took over. Cook usually advantages from enjoying in one of many highest-scoring offenses, the place sport scripts are nearly at all times in his favor and defenses have to give attention to Josh Allen.
The Bills’ offensive line was usually above-average run blockers final season. The line stayed wholesome final season, as everybody performed in no less than 18 of the potential 20 video games, and the 5 starters are all returning this season. Center Connor McGovern and proper sort out Spencer Brown made noticeable enhancements final season. Generally, when strains play extra snaps collectively, they have a tendency to enhance. However, there may be additionally a good probability they received’t have as a lot luck on the subject of accidents this time round.
Bottom line
Cook’s speeding landing was extraordinarily low in 2023 and excessive in 2024. His fantasy worth this season will probably be someplace in between, making him a comparatively protected RB2 possibility.
Footnotes
- Statistics in tables and charts had been chosen based mostly on their capacity to foretell future fantasy efficiency on a per-game or per-opportunity foundation or to explain the participant relative to others on the similar place.
- “Opportunities” are outlined as passing dropbacks, speeding makes an attempt and routes run as a receiver.
- Numbers are supplied both by season or based mostly on the previous three years. For rookies, solely faculty statistics are included. For non-rookies, solely NFL statistics are thought of, no matter whether or not they performed in faculty throughout the earlier three years.
- As faculty competitors is simpler than NFL competitors, most rookies are more likely to see a decline from their historic numbers.
- Only FBS information is taken into account for school gamers and comparisons.
- Kneel-downs are faraway from speeding information to supply cleaner quarterback speeding fee statistics.
- The desk colours on this article vary from blue (indicating good/excessive) to crimson (indicating unhealthy/low).
- All percentiles and coloration codings examine the given participant to others with a excessive pattern of alternatives. Generally, the cutoff is one-third of the potential alternatives within the pattern. If a participant doesn’t meet the edge, they’re nonetheless included within the comparability, although their outcomes might seem higher or worse than anticipated because of the smaller, much less predictive pattern measurement.
- Information on utilization classifications and their significance could be discovered right here for operating backs, large receivers and tight ends.