James Cook vs George Pickens

“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.”

“In a PPR league, James Cook is the pick. He led the league in rushing in 2025 and in touchdowns in 2024, so the volume is there and will continue to be in 2026 with Joe Brady at head coach.”

“With the Bills' offense under Joe Brady never finding a dominant receiver, Cook has had to stand up and lead the offense, and there's no reason to think that can't continue this season. While the passing offense will be spread around, Cook remains the safest and strongest bet outside of Josh Allen.”

“Cook caught just 33 passes on 40 targets despite a career-high 1,621 rushing yards. A quick glance at Cook's career confirms that Buffalo is comfortable forcing passing targets elsewhere, as during his four seasons with the Bills, Cook surpassed 35 receptions just once.”

“The Bills featured James Cook as a bell cow, leaving Davis little opportunity to provide fantasy relevance.”

“Dallas will have a tough dilemma if franchised WR George Pickens has a Pro Bowl season and Overshown remains healthy.”

“Pickens proved last year that all he needed was competent quarterback play to prove he can be an elite wide receiver in the league. After being stuck with Kenny Pickett, Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, and Mason Rudolph, fantasy managers were blessed to witness a fully unlocked Pickens in 2025.”

“George Pickens had a monster first year with the Cowboys, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards.”

“Pickens had a breakout season in his first year with the Cowboys, finishing as the WR5, averaging 17.2 PPR fantasy points per game. He averaged 8.7 targets and 26.3 fantasy points per game with CeeDee Lamb sidelined, but averaged 7.9 targets and 15.2 with Lamb playing.”

“Last year I made the case that George Pickens projected very similarly to Tee Higgins despite a two-round ADP discount. I'd maintain that they project similarly again in 2026, albeit with their ADPs in reverse order.”

“George Pickens sparked one of the more interesting debates because the talent is obvious, but fantasy consistency has not always followed. The conversation leaned into the upside attached to his skill set while also recognizing that week-to-week reliability can still fluctuate. That tension is what makes Pickens such a fascinating fantasy player.”

“George Pickens receiving TDs Over 4.5 -110 MGM (1 unit)”

“George Pickens is the quintessential dynasty sell-high candidate after a 1,429-yard breakout season that culminated in him signing a $27.3 million franchise tag for 2026. While he proved he can thrive as a high-end target next to CeeDee Lamb, the breakdown in long-term contract negotiations suggests the Cowboys are hesitant to commit to his volatility beyond this season.”

“They did trade for Rashan Gary and kept George Pickens around with the franchise tag, though they still need to work out a long-term deal.”

“Every tagged player from 2026 had already done so with the exception of George Pickens and the Cowboys . To no surprise, the deadline passed without an agreement being reached .”

“George Pickens signed the franchise tag and reportedly has no plans to skip training camp at the end of the month.”

“There was some drama involving Pickens, whom the Cowboys did not lock up for the long haul. They instead slapped the former Steeler with the franchise tag in late February. Although the Cowboys have publicly ruled out an extension by the July 15 deadline, Pickens will report to training camp and play for $27.3MM. He should have plenty of motivation in his second consecutive platform season.”