James Cook
vs Jahmyr Gibbs

“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.”

“Gibbs is on pace to clear that line with room to spare. Two-week paces rarely hold, and Detroit could ease off. Right now, though, the Lions keep ordering rounds.”

“Jahmyr Gibbs played an 83% snap share (54 of 65 snaps), 16 carries for 52 yards (0 TD), 8 official targets (9 true)/6 rec/61 yds/1 TD, 0 fumbles. 22 official touches (23 true), 113 official total yards. First-half usage: 8 carries for 47 yards, 4 targets/4 catches/40 yds/1 TD — 12 touches, 87 yards and the game’s first Detroit score, in the first half alone, even while Detroit trailed 0-21 for most of it. Second half: 8 carries for just 5 yards, but 4 more targets, 2 catches/21 yards.”

“Those offensive line injuries are another variable, but Gibbs is a front-end RB1 option who will sit as the RB1 in ranks again in a game that could be the highest-scoring of the week. This is a game where you play all the core pieces on both sides, no questions asked. Even if Detroit runs the ball less as a road underdog, Gibbs has an out as a pass catcher.”

“Lions In the first game without RB David Montgomery , Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs had 34 total touches for 186 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns in the team’s win over the Saints. Lions HC Dan Campbell admitted using Gibbs that much isn’t ideal, but he wants to do whatever it takes to win. Campbell also feels Gibbs’ elite conditioning allows this, though he was clear they will monitor his health.”

“Gibbs is the team’s unquestioned bell cow, but if it wants more established depth at the position, it could dip into free agency. The Lions held a late-August visit with Kareem Hunt , Pacheco’s former teammate in Kansas City, though it is unclear if he is still on their radar.”

“Stop me if you’ve heard this one before – Jahmyr Gibbs is really, really good. The top selection in fantasy this year, Gibbs rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, also bringing in five receptions for 30 yards as a receiver. An increased workload occurred due to this game heading into overtime, but head coach Dan Campbell seems confident that Gibbs can shoulder this many touches as necessary, though it isn’t ideal.”

“Ownership Notes Quarterback Jared Goff 11.7%: Detroit carries one of the highest team totals, but Gibbs can steal the TDs.”

“In the 25 career games in which Gibbs has played 60% or more of the team snaps, he has averaged 20.3 PPR points per game.”

“However, the touchdowns could run exclusively through Gibbs. He’s finally freed from the clutches of a committee with David Montgomery leaving town, and Detroit has one of the highest totals on the slate. While I wouldn’t be overweight on Gibbs this week, he does need to be included in your player pool for the pure slate-breaking potential that would leave your lineups null and void if you don’t have any shares.”

“For example, Jahmyr Gibbs finished last season with 328.4 total fantasy points , which should tell you just about everything you need to know about the kind of production he is capable of bringing to your team.”