CeeDee Lamb
vs James Cook

“CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL) It was a really disappointing 2025 for CeeDee Lamb , posting the second-lowest numbers of his career in targets (117), receptions (75) and receiving yards (1,077), with only his rookie season in 2020 worse. He also had a career-low three touchdowns. The newly arrived George Pickens recorded a 22.1% target share in the red zone compared to Lamb’s 18.6%, which was also behind Jake Ferguson , who led the team with 23.1%.”

“Lamb is a pick I don’t exactly love in a vacuum. I am lower on him than most this season and don’t believe he should be a first-round pick in fantasy.”

“Lamb remains a locked-in WR1 with a stellar quarterback in his prime and George Pickens alongside him to keep defenses honest.”

“CeeDee Lamb (WR – DAL) In a world where George Pickens had hit the open market, or was traded by the Cowboys this offseason, instead of signing his franchise tag tender, CeeDee Lamb could have been back in the top two wide receiver conversation.”

“CeeDee Lamb is eminently talented, do not get me wrong there, and this offense will promise to be extremely high-flying and productive. However, he has one season in his career wherein he finished higher than WR7 or with more than 17.7 PPR points per game. That season came in 2023 when he led the NFL in targets with 181 targets.”

“Lamb is coming off the least productive season of his career. There's no questioning his talent, but I'm still unsure how he'll fit into Dallas' new offensive scheme. That said, he'll still command an elite target share, and that's ultimately why we're drafting him. Lamb's combination of volume, explosiveness and big-play ability gives him overall WR1 upside if everything clicks.”

“CeeDee Lamb posted his fifth straight 1,000-yard season.”

“CeeDee Lamb was framed as one of the safest high-end fantasy receivers because of his ability to consistently function as the centerpiece of an offense. Even when offensive conditions fluctuate, receivers who dominate targets maintain elite fantasy floors. There was little concern expressed about talent or role, with the conversation focused on how dependable his fantasy profile remains compared to many receivers drafted around him.”

“While the outcome was mild against a Houston defense we still buy as one of the best defensive fronts, Cook got the usage we wanted to see. He played 69.2% of the snaps (RB11) and saw 88.9% of the backfield touches (RB4). The one element that left more to be desired was the passing-game usage that was talked up this preseason.”

“James Cook (RB – BUF) In 2024, James Cook dominated, scoring 16 touchdowns and rushing for 1,009 yards. That production seemed unsustainable. In 2025, he recorded 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, and gave us even more reason to be confident.”

“While Cook does not have the pass-catching profile that usually benefits from a full PPR format, he has been one of the absolute best assets to have on a fantasy roster over the past few seasons, finishing as a top-12 RB each of the last three years. There is hope that Cook may become more involved in the passing game for the Bills, which would only give his fantasy ceiling a boost.”

“James Cook (RB – BUF) has already shown flashes of every skill needed to be the overall RB1: a big receiving season, an 18-touchdown season, and a 1,600-yard rushing season, just never all in the same year.”

“James Cook was picked as the best value on the board at 11th overall, priced almost entirely off last year’s production rather than his upside. The case for a top-three running back season rests on four pillars, and Cook checks every one.”

“James Cook was a no-brainer pick, and it came down to Derrick Henry and Ashton Jeanty for the RB2 slot.”

“The Bills put their money where their mouth is by giving James Cook a ton of money, then followed that up with a bunch of touches (349, to be exact), and brought the rushing title back to Buffalo. James Cook led the NFL in 2025 with 11 games of 80+ rushing yards.”

“James Cook is expected to be more involved in the passing game under new offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, whose running backs have been heavily involved in the passing attack throughout his coaching history. Cook had a career-high 309 rush attempts in the regular season en route to the NFL rushing title last season, and shifting some of his carries into targets could be a wise move given his excellent receiving skills demonstrated at the NFL level.”

“Unlike Saquon Barkley, who also plays with a quarterback used heavily near the end zone, the Bills do mix in Cook near the end zone, instead of strictly relying on Josh Allen moving the pile. Cook had 14 rushing attempts inside the 5-yard line in 2025 (tied for 8th in the NFL) with 6 touchdowns on those runs.”