James Cook

James Cook

25-Year-Old Running BackRB
Buffalo Bills
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
#39.36
ADP
$Signed a four-year, $5.83 million contract with the Bills in May of 2022.
Gets 15 touches in Week 9 win
RBBuffalo Bills
November 3, 2024
Cook rushed 10 times for 44 yards and caught five of six targets for 25 yards in Sunday's 30-27 win over the Dolphins.
ANALYSIS
Cook got 10 of the 17 rushing attempts among Buffalo's running backs, but backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson were both more efficient in terms of yards per carry, and Davis had a 63-yard receiving touchdown. Cook has been feast or famine on the ground, with four games of at least 71 rushing yards and four games of 32 or fewer heading into Week 10 against the Colts. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season after scoring only four times on the ground across the 2022 and 2023 regular seasons combined.
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NFL Stats
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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.
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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. 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. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Broken Tackle %
    The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
  • Positive Run %
    The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
  • % Yds After Contact
    The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
  • Avg Yds After Contact
    The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
  • Rushing TD %
    Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
  • Touches Per Game
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
  • % Snaps w/Touch
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Broken Tackle %
12.1%
 
Positive Run %
83.8%
 
% Yds After Contact
49.8%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
2.3
 
Rushing TD %
7.1%
 
Touches Per Game
14.1
 
% Snaps w/Touch
44.8%
 
Air Yards Per Game
5.9
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.19
 
% Team Air Yards
2.7%
 
% Team Targets
7.5%
 
Avg Depth of Target
2.9 Yds
 
Catch Rate
63.6%
 
Drop Rate
4.5%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
9.5
 
% Targeted On Route
20.6%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.59
 
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Buffalo BillsBills 2024 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
J.James Cook
#% of Team Snaps

25248%
9941%
13025%
6326%
11522%
7129%
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where James Cook lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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This Week's Opposing Pass Defense
How does the Colts 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.
IND
@ Colts
Sunday, Nov 10th at 1:00PM
Overall QB Rating Against
81.4
 
Cornerbacks
67.7
 
Safeties
98.1
 
Linebackers
90.7
 
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2024 James Cook Split Stats
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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 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.42 sec
 
Vertical Jump
33.0 in
 
Broad Jump
124 in
 
Hand Length
9.38 in
 
Arm Length
30.75 in
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring James Cook See More
Box Score Breakdown: Week 9 Snaps, Routes, Personnel and Usage
Yesterday
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the star of Week 9, leading the league in fantasy points and air yards despite taking nearly all of his snaps in the slot. RW's Jerry Donabedian has the full breakdown from Sunday.
NFL Waiver Wire: Week 10 Early Watch
2 days ago
Jim Coventry offers an early look at players to keep an eye on for the upcoming waiver wire run, including Demarcus Robinson, who has four touchdowns in the last two games.
NFL Reactions: Week 9 Recap
2 days ago
Jim Coventry reacts to Week 9, including Joe Burrow tossing five TD passes against the Raiders.
DraftKings NFL: Week 9 DFS Breakdown
4 days ago
Ryan Belongia analyzes the Week 9 DraftKings DFS contest as Bijan Robinson is in a great spot against the Cowboys' porous run defense.
NFL Game Previews: Buccaneers-Chiefs Matchup
5 days ago
Erik Siegrist previews the Monday night matchup as Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs take on the Buccaneers.
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.
Drafted 63rd overall this year, Cook might be a luxury pick for a Super Bowl contender without many glaring needs, but that doesn't mean he won't have an impact. Dalvin's younger brother doesn't have a path to the same kind of role the elder Cook enjoys in Minnesota, but the Georgia product did show a well-rounded skill set last year, producing 1,012 yards and 11 TDs on only 140 touches as part of a backfield committee with fellow NFL draft pick Zamir White (fourth round). Cook lacks ideal size to grind out yards between the tackles, but that's not really the Bills' strength anyway, and his strong receiving production last season (284 yards, four TDs) suggests he could be a good fit in one of the NFL's more pass-happy offenses. Buffalo brings back Devin Singletary as the likely lead runner and still has Duke Johnson and Zack Moss as depth options, but Cook might ultimately prove to be the best of the bunch.
More Fantasy News
Monster game Sunday
RBBuffalo Bills
October 27, 2024
Cook rushed 17 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns while adding 22 yards on three receptions in Sunday's 31-10 win over the Seahawks.
ANALYSIS
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Limited to 32 yards
RBBuffalo Bills
October 20, 2024
Cook rushed the ball 12 times for 32 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 34-10 win over the Titans. He was not targeted.
ANALYSIS
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Ready to return Week 7
RBBuffalo Bills
October 18, 2024
Cook (toe) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's contest against the Titans, while rookie fourth-rounder Ray Davis (calf) is listed as questionable, Alec White of the Bills' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Practices fully Thursday
RBBuffalo Bills
October 17, 2024
Cook (toe) practiced fully Thursday.
ANALYSIS
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Listed as limited in walkthrough
RBBuffalo Bills
Toe
October 16, 2024
Cook (toe) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walkthrough practice.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Returning in Week 7
RBBuffalo Bills
October 18, 2024
Cook, who missed the Bills' Week 6 win over the Jets due to a toe injury, does not carry an injury designation heading into Sunday's Week 7 matchup against the Titans, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Cook earned his clean bill of health for Sunday's game by practicing without restrictions both Thursday and Friday. The third-year back was originally slated to work out pregame before the game against the Jets to see if he'd be able to suit up, but a decision was made to forgo that step and play it safe. That approach appears to have paid off, as Cook seems set to assume his customary No. 1 role against Tennessee.
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