Playing with one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks and coming off a 1,100-yard season should make Buffalo Bills‘ running back James Cook very appealing to fantasy managers.
But how much does a lack of production when it comes to scoring hurt Cook’s chances of being one of the top running backs selected in fantasy drafts?
Here’s the fantasy outlook for Cook entering the 2024 season.
James Cook’s Fantasy Profile for the 2024 NFL Season
Cook enjoyed a significant increase in 2023 from his rookie season, going from 89 rush attempts in 2022 to 237 last season. The added carries paid off, as Cook also went from 507 rush yards as a rookie to 1,122 yards in 2023.
Cook also proved to be decent in the passing game, catching 44 passes last season, more than doubling his rookie total (21). In all, Cook finished with 281 touches, an impressive number when you remember he shared the offensive stage with Allen, perhaps the best dual-threat quarterback in the league.
Cook averaged 5.6 yards per touch, which was down from his rookie season (6.2), but still better by comparison than the New York Jets’ Breece Hall (5.3), considered one of the top running backs in fantasy football this season.
Is Cook a Good Fantasy Pick?
Cook is RB14 in Pro Football Network’s Consensus Fantasy Football Rankings as of Aug. 22.
Cook’s progression from his rookie season to Year 2 was impressive, and with the Bills expected to have one of the top offenses in the league again this season, it’s fair to assume even better production from Cook in 2024.
However, one of the biggest knocks on Cook, and why he probably isn’t worth more than a mid-round selection at best, is his inability to get in the end zone.
Of those 281 total touches last season, Cook was able to score just six touchdowns, and only two of those scores came on touchdown runs. In fact, of the 23 players in the NFL who had at least 200 rush attempts last season, Cook had the fewest rushing touchdowns.
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And the problem for Cook is that in this offense, it’s difficult for fantasy managers to expect much improvement in the scoring department. Allen is coming off a season in which he scored 15 rushing touchdowns — tied for the second-most in the league — on just 111 carries.
This, combined with the fact that Cook had only four rush attempts from the opponents’ 5-yard line or closer, probably makes a significant increase in scoring unlikely.
Fantasy managers could hope that Cook breaks loose on some long touchdown runs, but last season he had just six rushes that went 20 yards or longer.
In the end, Cook is capable of putting up acceptable numbers, and an improvement in yards and receptions is certainly possible. But until he can show he’s going to be a factor in getting in the end zone, it’s difficult to put Cook in the upper echelon of running backs in fantasy.