Pat Fantasy Dog Pound advised scooping James Cook despite rumors he might skip part of camp. Pat expects the Bills and their lead back to "get something done," and believes any temporary ADP dip is free equity on a player already locked into Buffalo’s passing-friendly backfield. In his view, even a small slide in price makes Cook an automatic click given the scarcity of three-down roles once quarterbacks start pushing every other position down the board in SuperFlex rooms.

Ryan McDowell added fresh numbers to his fade of James Cook. Cook’s 2023 touchdown rate spiked to 7.7%, well above his 3.8% career average. McDowell calculated that if Cook had merely hit his own baseline rate, his fantasy production would have fallen from 16.5 PPR points per game to 13.5, turning an RB11 finish into RB21. Touchdowns already accounted for 41% of Cook’s total points—the highest share for any back with 60+ carries last season—making a repeat highly unlikely with Josh Allen siphoning goal-line work. Combine that with Buffalo’s reluctance to extend Cook, and McDowell sees more downside than upside at an RB13 startup price. He is steering clear even on contending rosters, recommending managers reallocate that capital to safer backs or elite receivers.

Ryan McDowell expressed concern over James Cook at RB13 (56th overall). He pointed to Cook’s unresolved contract situation—highlighted by the back skipping voluntary minicamp—as a red flag for long-term dynasty value. McDowell noted that 41% of Cook’s 2023 fantasy production came from an outlier 16 rushing touchdowns, a number that is hard to sustain with Josh Allen’s league-leading 34 rushing scores over the last three seasons siphoning goal-line work. If Buffalo declines to extend him, managers could be left holding a one-year asset with an uncertain 2026 landing spot. Given the heavy TD dependency and contractual volatility, McDowell recommends selling or avoiding Cook at his current startup price.

Pat Fantasy Dog Pound wants 8-10% exposure to James Cook but is intentionally waiting to draft him until the Bills’ contract drama clears. Cook reportedly wants $15 million a year, and Pat believes trade rumors or a hold-in could push his ADP down rather than up. Because the market is unlikely to price-hike Cook even if he stays, but could discount him if talks sour, Pat is content to pass for now and scoop shares later at a potentially cheaper cost.

Jason Moore told dynasty managers to flip James Cook immediately, preferably for Kenneth Walker and a sweetener. Moore argued Cook’s 2024 RB1 finish was smoke-and-mirrors: 16 rushing touchdowns accounted for 43 percent of his fantasy points, a rate he called flat-out unsustainable. Buffalo used a three-back rotation—rookie Ray Davis as the likely goal-line hammer and Ty Johnson siphoning third-down work—making another 16-TD season almost impossible. Cook is already 25.6 and threatening a hold-in for $14 million per year, so Moore expects contract uncertainty to weigh on his price once the touchdowns dry up. He personally ranks Walker ahead of Cook, noting Walker is four months older than incoming rookie RJ Harvey yet has two 1,000-yard seasons and a new coordinator who "keeps mentioning him by name." Moore’s advice: dangle Cook’s perceived top-10 status to a contender, walk away with Walker plus a pick, and watch the market correct itself when Cook slides back into low-end RB2 territory.

Jason Moore advised cashing out on James Cook after his outlier 16-touchdown, top-10 finish. Cook is already 25.6, is threatening a hold-in for $14 million per year, and scored those 16 rushing TDs despite fewer opportunities per game and a lower snap share than the previous season. Moore noted Buffalo’s willingness to rotate backs—rookie Ray Davis profiles as a goal-line hammer and Ty Johnson siphoned third-down work in 2024—making a repeat highly unlikely. In 2022–23 Cook had just two rushing scores combined, suggesting massive negative touchdown regression. Moore said he personally flipped Cook for Chuba Hubbard plus multiple 2nd-rounders on a rebuilding roster and would take any top-10 RB pricing before Cook’s value settles into RB2 territory once the touchdowns dry up or he lands a modest free-agent deal similar to Alexander Mattison’s.

Eric Luttrell explained why his early-summer “Hero RB” builds start with snagging James Cook whenever the Bills back slips into the mid-fourth round. Luttrell sees Cook, Breece Hall and Chase Brown as second-round caliber talents who are being mis-priced 15–20 picks later because drafters are chasing wide-receiver avalanches. By grabbing Cook at 4.06 or later, managers lock in a back with a 60-plus target ceiling, top-10 yards per touch efficiency last season, and no real depth-chart threat after Buffalo ignored the position in free agency and the draft. Starting with a discounted Cook lets him hammer wideouts in Rounds 1-3, stop at four or five total running backs, and still claim closing-line value once summer hype nudges Cook back toward pick 30.

Mike Wright warned that James Cook’s RB8 finish was almost entirely touchdown driven and therefore fragile heading into 2025 drafts. Cook tied O.J. Simpson’s franchise record with 16 rushing TDs after totaling just two over his first two seasons. Meanwhile, volume actually slipped: carries, targets and total touches were all down year‑over‑year, and Buffalo rotated backs liberally near the goal line in several games. Efficiency data tells the same tale—Cook graded as the single worst fourth‑quarter runner in EPA per play but the best on first downs, suggesting the Bills protected him late and let others grind out clock. Wright projects natural TD regression and expects Buffalo to add a power back, making Cook a volatile RB2 instead of the reliable RB1 his 2024 line implies.