FANTASY FOOTBALL NEWS

James Cook Has Big Day, But ...

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Mon, Dec 16 2024 5:15 AM UTC

Bills RB James Cook ran for 104 yards and 2 TDs on 14 carries in Sunday's win over the Lions. What he didn't do, though, was see much receiving work. Cook also played just 41.4% of offensive snaps overall, his second-smallest share of the season.

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

Cook tallied 28 receiving yards against Detroit, his third-largest tally of the season. But that came on just 1 reception, giving Cook just 4 total catches over his past three games.

Ty Johnson led Buffalo RBs in pass routes Sunday, running 15 to Cook's 10, according to Pro Football Focus. Johnson also caught all five of his targets to rank second on the team in receptions and lead all Bills in receiving yards (114).

The Bills interestingly incorporated their top three RBs on the first three plays. A Cook carry opened things, then Johnson caught a 33-yard pass on the second play. And then Ray Davis ran for 5 yards.

By the end of the game, their snap counts went:

Cook 29
Johnson 21
Davis 18

That would be a more worrisome split if Buffalo had tougher matchups remaining. But if Cook can deliver at Detroit, then he's tough to bet against in home dates with the Patriots and Jets.

Expect Cook to at least land among our top 20 RBs the next two weeks. The recent dip in receiving opportunities still lowers the floor.

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.