James Cook

James Cook

24-Year-Old Running BackRB
Buffalo Bills
2023 Fantasy Outlook
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. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a four-year, $5.83 million contract with the Bills in May of 2022.
Finishes loss with 82 yards
RBBuffalo Bills
January 21, 2024
Cook rushed 18 times for 61 yards and caught four of five targets for 21 yards in Sunday's 27-24 loss to Kansas City.
ANALYSIS
Cook had trouble finding holes (3.4 YPC) against a tough defensive front led by the Chiefs' Chris Jones, finishing with 82 total yards and no touchdowns Sunday. With the loss ending Buffalo's season, Cook will finish his breakout fantasy campaign after posting 1,567 yards from scrimmage and six total touchdowns in 17 regular-season games as the Bills' starting tailback. Barring a big-name addition to the backfield this upcoming offseason, Cook figures to lead Buffalo's rushing attack alongside quarterback Josh Allen in 2024.
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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 2023 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 %
11.8%
 
Positive Run %
88.2%
 
% Yds After Contact
57.1%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
2.7
 
Rushing TD %
0.8%
 
Touches Per Game
16.5
 
% Snaps w/Touch
46.1%
 
Air Yards Per Game
6.9
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.19
 
% Team Air Yards
2.6%
 
% Team Targets
9.9%
 
Avg Depth of Target
2.2 Yds
 
Catch Rate
81.5%
 
Drop Rate
11.1%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
9.3
 
% Targeted On Route
17.0%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.40
 
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2023
2022
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2022 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Buffalo BillsBills 2023 RB Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts
#% of Team Snaps

69055%
35929%
12210%
554%
262%
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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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2023 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
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14 days ago
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ADP Analysis: Tracking Best Ball ADP Changes After Free Agency
16 days ago
Most of the big ADP changes can be easily explained, but there are also guys like Isiah Pacheco and Kenneth Walker dropping down the ranks for unclear reasons.
Best Ball Strategy: Early Round Surprises and Steals for 2024 NFL Best Ball
72 days ago
Despite his monster finish to this past season, Aaron Jones is going well outside the Top 50 in early drafts on Underdog.
Backfield Breakdown: 2023 RB Season Review & 2024 PPR Rankings
76 days ago
Breece Hall gets the No. 2 spot in Jerry Donabedian's initial 2024 PPR rankings for RBs after leading the position with 95 targets this past season.
Box Score Breakdowns: Snaps, Routes and Air Yards from the Divisional Round
87 days ago
Odell Beckham didn't play much in the divisional round, with Baltimore instead leaning on Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor alongside No. 1 receiver Zay Flowers.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Key weapon for Bills on Sunday
RBBuffalo Bills
January 20, 2024
Kevin Patra of NFL.com identifies Cook as an important piece for the Bills in their AFC divisional-round game against the Chiefs on Sunday.
ANALYSIS
In the Bills' Week 14 win over the Chiefs, Cook had 10 carries for 58 yards and five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. He's been more involved in the Bills' offense in his second year in the league, and he finished the season with 237 carries for 1,122 yards and two touchdowns while adding 44 catches for 445 yards and four touchdowns. His threat both in the running game and as a pass catcher will be crucial for Josh Allen and the Buffalo offense.
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2022 Fantasy Outlook
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
Leading rusher off 18 carries
RBBuffalo Bills
January 15, 2024
Cook carried the ball 18 times for 79 yards while adding four catches for five yards in Monday's 31-17 wild-card win over the Steelers.
ANALYSIS
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Poor production on 17 touches
RBBuffalo Bills
January 8, 2024
Cook rushed 13 times for 36 yards while adding three receptions on four targets for 16 yards in Sunday's 21-14 win over the Dolphins.
ANALYSIS
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Held in check by New England
RBBuffalo Bills
December 31, 2023
Cook carried the ball 16 times for 48 yards and caught one of three targets for minus-4 yards in Sunday's 27-21 win over the Patriots.
ANALYSIS
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Loses out on goal-line work
RBBuffalo Bills
December 23, 2023
Cook rushed the ball 20 times for 70 yards in Saturday's 24-22 win over the Chargers. He also lost a fumble and was not targeted.
ANALYSIS
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Good to go Saturday
RBBuffalo Bills
December 21, 2023
Cook (illness) doesn't carry an injury designation for Saturday night's game against the Chargers.
ANALYSIS
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