James Cook DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is seeking a contract extension with the organization. He wants a deal that would pay him $15 million per year. On Wednesday, Cook went on Instagram Live and specifically said, "15 mill." The former Georgia Bulldog is entering the final season of his rookie deal after rushing for at least 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. Cook found the end zone 18 times in 2024. A $15 million salary would put Cook as the second-highest-paid running back in the NFL behind only Christian McCaffrey.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed 13 times for 85 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. He also caught all three of his targets for an additional 49 yards through the air. Given that Cook had just 2.2 yards per carry against the Chiefs back in Week 11, he bounced back in a huge way this Sunday. He was highly efficient on the ground, productive through the air, and carried the Bills to a pair of scores. Simply put, he kept Buffalo in the game until the final seconds. Cook totaled 19 touchdowns between the regular season and playoffs, establishing himself as a steady RB1 option for fantasy football. Even with Ray Davis pushing for more opportunities, Cook should continue to be viewed as a top-10 option at his position heading into 2025 fantasy drafts.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is seeking revenge against the Kansas City Chiefs after they bottled him up during the regular season. When Cook faced the Chiefs back in Week 11, he rushed just nine times for 20 yards. He did catch five passes in that contest, but they amounted to just seven total receiving yards. That was Cook's worst game of the season, so he'll certainly be looking for revenge when the Bills head to Kansas City for the AFC Championship on Sunday. However, delivering a big game won't be easy. The Chiefs have been lethal against running backs this year, allowing the third-fewest rushing yards, fifth-fewest catches, and fourth-fewest receiving yards to the position during the 2024 regular season. Furthermore, they didn't surrender a single receiving touchdown to running backs. The Chiefs' run defense did falter a little last week, allowing 88 yards on 18 carries to Joe Mixon, but that may have been an outlier. Cook remains this week's No. 2 fantasy running back behind Saquon Barkley, but his matchup against Kansas City drastically reduces his floor.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook rushed 17 times for 67 yards and caught three passes for 15 yards in the team's 27-25 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Cook averaged just a hair under four yards per carry against Baltimore, one of the league's stingiest run defenses. All three of Buffalo's touchdowns came on the ground. Quarterback Josh Allen punched in two of the scores. The other was given to backup running back Ray Davis, despite Cook getting Buffalo to the one-yard line. Another tough run defense is next when the Bills travel to Kansas City for a matchup with the Chiefs.

The Ravens' dominant run defense has kept running backs in check all season and did just that when Buffalo Bills running back James Cook faced them in Week 4. Cook failed to log double-digit carries in three of 17 games this season, one of which came against the Ravens. The unit has also allowed just eight rushing touchdowns. Cook will need to be utilized in the passing game. The Ravens surrender the fourth-most receiving yards to the position but Ty Johnson has thrived in the pass-catching role for the Bills. Cook is a risky start for DFS lineups.