Buffalo Bills DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook missed practice on Sunday due to a personal matter and has returned on Monday morning. His absence was excused on Sunday, so the likely starting running back is back on the field. Cook posted 1122 yards on 237 attempts and two touchdowns on the ground and 445 yards on 44 receptions with four scores. He had plenty of goal-line chances stolen by Josh Allen quarterback keepers, so Cook does have the potential to find the endzone a bit more this season. As of right now, Rotoballer has him ranked as the 15th-best RB in PPR formats. He'll see most of the groundwork with Ty Johnson as his main backup.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (personal) was excused from Sunday's training camp practice for personal reasons. It's unknown how long Cook might be away from the team, but it's nothing that is going to affect his fantasy value heading into the 2024 season. The 24-year-old former second-round selection (63rd overall) in the 2022 NFL draft out of Georgia took on a much larger role in his sophomore season in 2023 and earned his first Pro Bowl nod, carrying the ball 237 times for 1,122 yards and just two touchdowns. He added 44 receptions on 54 targets for 445 additional yards and four touchdowns through the air. Cook heads into his third year in the league as Buffalo's unquestioned lead back. He does not thrive between the tackles and will probably never have a high TD ceiling with quarterback Josh Allen vulturing goal-line carries. Cook is more attractive in PPR formats and is listed as RotoBaller's No. 15 fantasy RB.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper recently restructured his deal with the organization. The superstar wideout will now earn $20 million during the upcoming season. That is a $5 million raise for the 30-year-old who is worth the money after what he showed last season. Cooper totaled 72 receptions for a career-high 1,250 yards and five touchdowns with the Browns last season. Cooper hinted that he'd like to remain with the team following the 2024 season. It makes sense that Cooper would like to stay after two straight successful seasons with the organization. They've rewarded him with a pay raise, so the organization clearly views him as a valuable asset. Fantasy managers should consider Cooper as a reliable WR2 heading into next season.

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel had a breakout day on Thursday at training camp. On his last catch of the day, he broke open on the right side with Cam Lewis in coverage. It sounds like Samuel is impressing at practice, which bodes well for his standing in Buffalo's wide open receiving corps following the departures of top targets Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason. The 27-year-old veteran is set to be one of quarterback Josh Allen's preferred options in three-receiver sets alongside rookie Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir in 2024, but he could also see some work on the ground as well, with 121 rushing attempts for his career. His ceiling may be limited by a role with a low average depth of target, but Samuel is looking like a high-floor WR3/4 option in the double-digit rounds of fantasy drafts.

Buffalo Bills second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid is a popular breakout candidate in 2024 as he heads into his second season because of his approach, talent and on-field connection with quarterback Josh Allen. Kincaid was also excellent on the first day of training camp practice this week, and the potential is there for him to be one of the Bills' top targets in 2024. However, from the looks of things on the first day, those expecting Kincaid to take over the full-time pass-catching role from Dawson Knox this year and push the veteran TE into a backup role may have their hopes dashed, according to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia. Both Kincaid and Knox worked heavily with Allen, and neither player worked in with backup QB Mitchell Trubisky. It's something worth watching, and as long as Knox stays healthy, it could keep Kincaid from reaching true breakout status as a TE1 in fantasy.