James Cook vs De'Von Achane

“Check out all of Fitz’s top fantasy football draft picks to target >> James Cook (BUF) James Cook led the NFL in rushing yards in 2025 (1,621).”

“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.”

“Repeat Seasons It should be more of the same for James Cook and Chase Brown , who saw little change in their offenses this offseason.”

“31 10 21 James Cook 13 5 8 Josh Jacobs 7 15 -8 Saquon Barkley 2 13 -11 Bucky Irving 10 33 -23 In past years, so many top RBs have gotten hurt that the Zero (or hero) RB draft strategies have become popular.”

“I recently gushed about James Cook and Ray Davis as players to target at Underdog at their ADPs .”

“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.”

“Well, so much for all of the regression talk about James Cook last year. Cook crushed all of the haters, improving his stock as the RB6 in fantasy points per game. He led the NFL in rushing yards (1,621) while finishing third in rushing attempts and sixth in rushing touchdowns (tied).”

“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.”

“Cook got a new contract last offseason, which was well-earned on the field. He had the best season of his early career, setting career highs in rushing attempts (309), rushing yards (1,621), touches (342), and yards from scrimmage (1,912) to go along with 14 touchdowns.”

“There’s no denying that Achane is an abundantly talented player and a fun watch. He’s averaged 5.6 yards per carry for his career, he’s scored double-digit touchdowns in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he’s had 145 catches over the last two years. Achane finished RB5 in half-point PPR scoring last year.”

“This is where I tell you that I am in on De’Von Achane, their only player going inside the top-130 by average draft position. Some fear him, but his downside is baked into his cost. I have him as my RB3 and I actively recommend him.”

“Achane has had a major downgrade in team context. For one, Mike McDaniel is no longer calling plays.”

“Players such as Christian McCaffrey , Jahmyr Gibbs , Bijan Robinson and De’Von Achane all cleared 60 receptions last season. They produce in every phase of the game.”

“For those who are worried about De'Von Achane and the Miami offense struggling so much that he will not be productive, maybe just look back at 2025, when the Dolphins struggled… and he wasn't one of the most consistent RBs in fantasy; he was THE most consistent RB in fantasy. Achane can get it done on the ground and in the air, so regardless of game script, he is a blessing for most fantasy teams.”

“Achane is one of the best backs in the league and just got a massive payday.”

“Another pleasant surprise was having De'Von Achane fall to me. Having him fall to the second half of the second round, with his average draft position (ADP) anywhere from 10-15, is crazy.”

“Among 43 running backs with at least 150 touches last season, De'Von Achane was second in yards per touch (6.0), sixth in scrimmage yards (1,838), and first in runs that gained 10-plus yards (16.8%).”

“It's hard, though, not to be concerned that his numbers in the receiving game could dip significantly without Tua Tagovailoa, having averaged five targets per game with him and 2.45 without him. The offense has no weapons, and if they can't move the ball and stay on the field, it could be catastrophic for Achane's value.”

“Last season, De'Von Achane exceeded his previous career-high 907 rushing yards by 443 rushing yards (1,350). He surpassed 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career while hitting 85+ targets for the second consecutive year. It's hard, though, not to be concerned that his numbers in the receiving game could dip significantly without Tua Tagovailoa, having averaged five targets per game with him and 2.45 without him.”

“Malik Willis, however, could impact Achane's targets due to his propensity to break from the pocket. This tendency will rob Achane of the checkdown volume that he enjoyed with Tua Tagoviloa under center.”

“We would be kidding ourselves if we didn't consider Achane to be the centerpiece of the Dolphins' offense and our fantasy rosters. Stacking this receiving production on top of the leader of 40+ yard rushes since 2023 feels like cheating, but because of this, he will be the highest-scoring Dolphin for fantasy this year.”