James Cook
24-Year-Old
2024 Rush/Rec Stats
ATT
30
YDS
149
TD
2
YDS
49
TD
1
Rest-of-Season Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Power and short-yardage running will probably never be part of Cook's skill set, and with that limitation comes a likely cap on his fantasy production. If he can overrule that limitation, it would have to be via pass-catching production, which was a clear strength last season for the 2022 second-round pick. Whereas Cook's rushing work from 2023 can be imitated easily enough, it's not so easy for an offense to find a running back that can turn 54 targets into 44 catches for 445 yards and four touchdowns. While that type of efficiency is difficult to maintain even for a skilled pass-catching back, Cook can make up for any efficiency losses with a larger target count this upcoming season. It might be necessary in order for him to repeat last year's fantasy production, as QB Josh Allen's dominance of goal-line carries means Cook isn't guaranteed to improve much on last year's total of two rushing touchdowns (on 237 attempts). The addition of rookie fourth-round pick Ray Davis could introduce a short-yardage nuisance and some competition for early down snaps, but as long as Cook maintains his monopoly on Buffalo's RB targets the formula from 2023 should mostly remain in place for 2024. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Three TDs in Week 2 road win
Cook rushed 11 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns and secured his only target for a 17-yard score in the Bills' 31-10 win over the Dolphins on Thursday night.
ANALYSIS
As the three-touchdown total and the 7.1 yards per carry figure substantiates, Cook was a one-man wrecking crew on the offensive side of the ball for the Bills in the lopsided victory. The third-year back opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown reception to cap off Buffalo's opening possession, and he added scoring runs of one and 49 yards in the second quarter. The fact the Bills already had a two-touchdown lead by halftime allowed head coach Sean McDermott to take it easy on Cook in the second half, with rookie backup Ray Davis nearly matching him in carries (nine) by night's end. Cook has 149 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards through two games heading into a Week 3 home matchup against the Jaguars on Monday, Sept. 23.
As the three-touchdown total and the 7.1 yards per carry figure substantiates, Cook was a one-man wrecking crew on the offensive side of the ball for the Bills in the lopsided victory. The third-year back opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown reception to cap off Buffalo's opening possession, and he added scoring runs of one and 49 yards in the second quarter. The fact the Bills already had a two-touchdown lead by halftime allowed head coach Sean McDermott to take it easy on Cook in the second half, with rookie backup Ray Davis nearly matching him in carries (nine) by night's end. Cook has 149 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards through two games heading into a Week 3 home matchup against the Jaguars on Monday, Sept. 23.
NFL Stats
Loading NFL Stats...
Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
Loading Fantasy/Red Zone Stats...
Advanced NFL Stats
How do James Cook's 2024 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Broken Tackle %
13.3%Positive Run %
80.0%% Yds After Contact
30.9%Avg Yds After Contact
1.5Rushing TD %
6.7%Touches Per Game
17.0% Snaps w/Touch
60.7%Air Yards Per Game
0.5Air Yards Per Snap
0.02% Team Air Yards
0.3%% Team Targets
9.8%Avg Depth of Target
0.3 YdsCatch Rate
100.0%Drop Rate
0.0%Avg Yds After Catch
12.0% Targeted On Route
16.7%Avg Yds Per Route Run
2.04Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2024
2023
2022
2024 NFL Game Log
Loading Game Log...
Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where James Cook lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Alignment Breakdown...
Loading Team Alignment Breakdown...
This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Jaguars pass defense compare to other NFL teams this season?
The bars represents the team's percentile rank (based on QB Rating Against). The longer the bar, the better their pass defense is. The team and position group ratings only include players that are currently on the roster and not on injured reserve. The list of players in the table only includes defenders with at least 3 attempts against them.
vs Jaguars
Monday, Sep 23rd at 7:30PM
Overall QB Rating Against
82.2
Cornerbacks
103.8
Safeties
39.6
Linebackers
61.8
Loading Opponent Pass Defense Stats...
2024 James Cook Split Stats
Loading NFL Split Stats...
Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do James Cook's measurables compare to other running backs?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
5' 11"Weight
190 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.42 secVertical Jump
33.0 inBroad Jump
124 inHand Length
9.38 inArm Length
30.75 in
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring James Cook See More
RW's Jerry Donabedian assesses the fallout from various backfield injuries and role changes in Week 2, highlighting Carson Steele, Cam Akers, Chuba Hubbard and others as potential fantasy beneficiaries.
Week 2 was memorably brutal for injuries, but it wasn't all bad news for fantasy thanks to some young WRs getting elite usage and taking advantage. Jerry Donabedian has the scoop on everything Week 2.
Jim Coventry shares his experience and strategy from playing in Locker's contest for Thursday's Bills/Dolphins matchup.
Mike Barner analyzes the DFS contests for the Thursday night game as Josh Allen is the far better option at quarterback.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
Cook played a minimal role in the Buffalo offense as a rookie, logging just 257 snaps in 16 games, but the second-round pick out of Georgia was effective when he got the ball. He had six carries of 20 or more yards, averaging 5.7 YPC on 89 attempts, but his receiving production was less encouraging as he caught just 65.6 percent of his targets for 5.6 YPT. Cook largely was prized for his pass catching coming out of Georgia last year -- an important point in a sales pitch that otherwise had to grapple with the fact that Cook was never more than a rotational back in college. Free-agent pickups Damien Harris and Latavius Murray are threats to handle some of the valuable rushing reps near the goal line, but Cook should have a fairly clear path to the passing-down work. Cook is the only member of the backfield with the potential to make an impact as both a runner and receiver, and he's the only one backed by a major investment from the team.
More Fantasy News
Posts 103 total yards in opener
Cook rushed 19 times for 71 yards and caught all three of his targets for 32 yards in Sunday's 34-28 win over the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Won't play in preseason finale
Coach Sean McDermott relayed Monday that the Bills won't play their starters, a group that includes Cook, in the team's preseason finale against the Panthers on Saturday, Alec White of the team's official site reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Dominates first-team touches
Cook rushed the ball six times for 25 yards in Saturday's 9-3 preseason win over the Steelers.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Bottled up in preseason start
Cook rushed four times for two yards and wasn't targeted in Saturday's 33-6 preseason loss to the Bears.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Likely playing Saturday
Cook and other starters likely will play about a quarter in Saturday's preseason game against Chicago, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could lose out on goal-line looks
Cook could see fewer short-yardage opportunities after the Bills drafted running back Ray Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
ANALYSIS
The 5-foot-8, 211-pound Davis has the build of a power runner, while the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Cook relies primarily on his quickness to elude defenders. Cook rushed 237 times for 1,122 yards in 2023 but scored only two rushing touchdowns, struggling to gain tough yards by the goal line. The addition of Davis, who scored 14 rushing touchdowns for Kentucky in 2023, could further complicate Cook's path to goal-line carries in a Buffalo offense that's already heavily reliant on both Josh Allen's arm and the quarterback's legs in the red zone.
The 5-foot-8, 211-pound Davis has the build of a power runner, while the 5-foot-11, 190-pound Cook relies primarily on his quickness to elude defenders. Cook rushed 237 times for 1,122 yards in 2023 but scored only two rushing touchdowns, struggling to gain tough yards by the goal line. The addition of Davis, who scored 14 rushing touchdowns for Kentucky in 2023, could further complicate Cook's path to goal-line carries in a Buffalo offense that's already heavily reliant on both Josh Allen's arm and the quarterback's legs in the red zone.