James Cook Fantasy Overview

2024 Summary

Production & Fantasy Finishes

Cook finished as the RB8 in total PPR points. He slid to 11th in points per game.

The 25-year-old ranked as a top-12 producer in nine of 16 games. He finished outside the top-24 RBs on five occasions, including one in a meaningless Week 18 game.

TD production propelled him to the career-best fantasy finish. After totaling 4 rushing TDs across the previous two seasons, Cook racked up a massive 16 rushing scores in 2024. That tied for the league lead.

Just keep in mind that Cook ranked 8th in expected rush TDs (10.3). He’s an obvious regression candidate in 2025.

Cook also finished 16th among RBs in rushing yards (1,009), 33rd in catches (32), and 28th in receiving yards (258).

Usage & Role

Cook handled 44% of Buffalo’s red zone carries and 48% of the goal line carries. Compare that to 2023, when he saw a 29% share of the RZ carries; 28% of the goal line work.

Cook’s total carries per game dropped slightly from 13.9 to 12.9. His carry share wound up at just 45.2% – 26th among RBs.

His targets dipped from 3.2 to 2.4 per game, producing a target share of 7.8% (41st among RBs).

Note: Cook wasn’t fully utilized in Week 18 with Buffalo’s playoff spot secured.

Efficiency Metrics

Cook’s metrics largely paint a rosy picture.

Among 31 RBs with 150+ carries, he ranked:

• 6th in yards per carry
• 8th in Pro Football Focus rushing grade
• 12th in yards after contact per attempt
• 20th in PFF’s Elusive Rating.

Elsewhere, Cook finished sixth among RBs in EPA per rush, 11th in success rate, and 11th in explosive play rate.

At bottom, Cook’s numbers either fell in line with past production or set career highs.

Offensive Context

Returning OC Joe Brady emphasized the run. The Bills finished with the fourth-highest rush rate (49.3%) league-wide.

Cook also benefited from 17 games of Josh Allen. He hasn’t missed a game since his rookie season.

Plus, the Bills trotted out a cohesive O-line. They finished 13th in PFF's run blocking grades and 17th in ESPN's run block win rate.

Injury History

Cook missed one game with a toe sprain. He played all 17 games in 2023.

2025 Expectations

Projected Role & Competition

Cook’s 13 carries per game and 2.4 targets per game from last season are a reasonable ballpark for 2025.

The backfield remains unchanged, with Cook slotting in as the lead back ahead of Ray Davis. As a rookie, Davis averaged just 5.5 carries in 14 full games with Cook.

Ty Johnson re-signed on a two-year deal. He’ll continue to chip with two-minute and change-of-pace snaps.

Let’s just keep an eye on Cook’s contract situation this offseason. He enters a contract year and has gone public with a request for $15 million per year. We don’t foresee Cook missing time, though. And neither does GM Brandon Beane, who said in May that he expects Cook to suit up for Week 1.

Supporting Cast

Buffalo returns the same five O-line starters from 2024.

They added depth with the signing of former Round 3 pick Kendrick Green and rookie blocking TE Jackson Hawes.

The pass-catching corps remains without a true No. 1 WR. But it’s deep, rostering names like Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Josh Palmer, Curtis Samuel, and Elijah Moore.

Of course, QB Josh Allen returns to help divert defensive attention. Last year, Cook ran into an average of 6.5 defenders in the box per rush. That placed him in the middle of a sample of 31 RBs, per SumerSports.

Coaching & Offensive Scheme

OC Joe Brady retains play-calling duties after his first full season on the job. We project a similarly favorable pass/run split in 2025.

Last year, Cook ran a near-even mix of zone and gap concepts. Buffalo’s returning O-line should allow for another diversified run game.