James Cook
Buffalo Bills·#4Model Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 17 games
Advanced Metrics EPA & Next Gen Stats
STM Take
Cook climbed to STTM #4 tier 1 in 2025 alongside the rushing-yards crown, his third straight tier-improving year (tier 3 in 2023, tier 2 in 2024, tier 1 in 2025). The trajectory has been monotonic up the ladder, the rare RB profile that gains volume and efficiency at the same time. The case is no longer breakout; it is whether tier 1 is the new floor.
Cook was born in Miami and attended Miami Central before playing four years at Georgia, where he won the 2021 CFP national title. Buffalo took him 63rd overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He led the NFL in rushing touchdowns in 2024 (tying the Bills franchise record with 16), led the league outright in rushing yards in 2025 (1,621) as Buffalo's first rushing leader since 1976, made his third straight Pro Bowl, and earned second-team All-Pro honors. He is the younger brother of NFL running back Dalvin Cook.
Strengths
- 2025 NFL rushing yards leader (1,621) at 5.1 YPC; the first Bills back to lead the league in over four decades.
- Three straight Pro Bowls and 2025 second-team All-Pro at age 26, with the receiving profile (130 career catches) intact.
Concerns
- Recent game log shows wide variance with a 1.5 PPR week immediately after a 26.4 PPR week; Buffalo's game scripts can compress carries quickly.
- 32 career rushing TDs across four seasons; the touchdown rate jumped sharply in 2024-2025 and may regress to career baseline.
What to watch: Whether the league's leading rusher carries the workload again in 2026 or if Buffalo splits more snaps with their pass-catching backs.
Fantasy Outlook
James Cook scored 308 PPR points, 18.1 per game this season. Compare him against any RB and track weekly rankings in our fantasy tools.