Jun 17, 2026, 12:29 PM ET

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook faced plenty of skepticism entering the 2025 season. Fantasy managers questioned whether he could replicate his 18-touchdown total from the year prior, which allowed him to finish as the overall RB8 in PPR leagues. Not only did he repeat his success, but he blew his 2024 fantasy production out of the water. Last season, Cook rushed for 1,621 yards, caught 33 passes for 291 receiving yards, and scored 14 total touchdowns. He played all 17 games, eclipsed 300 fantasy points (PPR) for the first time in his career, and ranked as the overall RB6. Heading into 2026, Cook remains an RB1 with top-five upside at the running back position. His role remains unchanged after the Bills didn't make any major additions to their backfield, and he has shown that he can remain fantasy relevant despite the rushing upside of Josh Allen, who has 100+ rush attempts and 12+ rushing touchdowns in each of the last three years. At the running back position, managers should look for running backs with clear lead-back roles and a good offense. Cook checks both of those boxes, as DraftKings currently has the Bills' line set at 10.5 wins. As long as he stays healthy -- which has not been an issue in the past -- Cook will remain one of the top running backs in fantasy football. As such, he's worth drafting near the middle to end of the first round in 2026 drafts.--Andersen Pickard