James Cook 2024 Fantasy Football Outlook – Top 12 Again?
As the 2024 fantasy football season approaches, managers need to determine what they should be doing with Buffalo Bills running back James Cook. He is one of the more difficult players to evaluate, as he was efficient with his touches in 2023 but didn’t always get the type of touches that result in big-time fantasy production.
Today, we’re going to analyze Cook’s 2024 fantasy football outlook. Whether you’re contemplating drafting him or trading for him in your dynasty football leagues, we will lay it all out and help you make an informed decision regarding Cook for your 2024 fantasy football drafts.
RB James Cook Fantasy Football Value
Cook is coming off a fine 2023 season where he finished as the PPR RB12. He set career highs across the board in his sophomore season. Cook totaled 1,567 scrimmage yards and scored 6 total touchdowns. Additionally, he was also quite efficient as a rusher and finished ninth in Next Gen Stats Rush Yards Over Expected (RYOE). For as good as Cook was last year, he didn’t fully take off until Joe Brady took over as Buffalo’s offensive coordinator following a Week 10 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Furthermore, from Weeks 1-10, Cook was the overall PPR RB18 and only the RB29 in fantasy points per game. After Brady took over, Cook was the overall RB11 as well as the RB11 in PPR points per game from Weeks 11-18. He also averaged 19.5 touches per game during that stretch. That would put Cook on approximately a 332-touch pace over a 17-game season. Ultimately, he finished as the RB11 in PPR leagues last year.
Given how efficient he’s been with his touches, it’s exciting to think what Cook could accomplish on that kind of volume. The one bugaboo for him, though, has been scoring touchdowns. He only has four rushing touchdowns on 326 attempts so far in his career, making him a difficult player to rank in our fantasy football rankings. In the end, that kind of touchdown output puts a hard cap on Cook’s fantasy football ceiling.
James Cook Fantasy Football Outlook
Heading into 2024, Cook is being valued on the RB1/RB2 border depending on what source you use for your rankings. He’s going off draft boards as the RB15 in FFPC leagues. This feels a little low given what we just saw Cook accomplish last season, but it’s understandable given his lack of touchdowns.
James Cook Dynasty Football Outlook
In dynasty fantasy football leagues, Cook is not the best centerpiece for your running back room. He makes for a better RB2 with upside who can deliver the occasional RB1 finish. With the selection of rookie Ray Davis in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, it’s uncertain if Cook will ever see the goal line touches needed to enter the upper echelon of dynasty running backs. Still, Cook is a solid back who can help any contender secure a dynasty title.
Conclusion
Cook is a talented back, but he does have some limitations. While he was efficient as a rusher, he did not grade out well in several other metrics. Among 49 backs with 90+ carries, Cook finished:
-27th in Missed Tackles Forced Per Attempt (Fantasy Points Data Suite)
-35th in Elusive Rating (Pro Football Focus)
-39th in Yards After Contact Per Attempt (Fantasy Points Data Suite)
Pair these with Cook’s poor touchdown production, and it may be difficult to repeat his finish as an RB1. However, his usage under new offensive coordinator Joe Brady was fantastic. If Cook maintains that same volume, then the above metrics will not matter, and Cook will crack the top 12 on sheer volume. Touchdowns will ultimately determine his true fantasy ceiling.
In the end, if Cook can find a way to score more touchdowns around the goal line, then a top-five season is within reach. However, if he doesn’t, he will continue to hover around the RB1/RB2 border.
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