James Cook
vs Kyren Williams

“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.”

“Kyren Williams is the other running back under 220 pounds who reached the 300-carry threshold in 2023.”

“Of course, Sean McVay’s love for Kyren Williams is well documented.”

“Corum carries massive upside if Kyren Williams misses any time and could even work his way into FLEX consideration in the right matchups.”

“Kyren Williams remains one of the most reliable running backs in fantasy football. He had 1,252 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns last season.”

“The Rams have one of the most prolific offenses in the NFL, and Williams handled 63% of the red zone rushing attempts last year. Williams has been an RB1 for three years running, and yet he is in a tier with guys who are RB2’s.”

“In 2025, however, Williams started to see his role reduced with backfield mate Blake Corum earning more touches. In 2023 and 2024, Kyren Williams had Opportunity Shares of 78.4% and 82.8%.”

“If we do see some natural regression and balance in passing-to-rushing scores, Kyren Williams should be the bet to benefit. Williams played 69.2% of the snaps in the red zone and out-touched Blake Corum 58 to 26 in that area.”

“Kyren Williams slotted behind Omarion Hampton and only barely ahead of Jeremiyah Love is, frankly, scandalous. Williams is entering his age-26 season, so he certainly isn’t cooked.”

“Round 3: Kyren Williams (RB – LAR) Kyren Williams was the counter-pick, a player who’s kept sliding further down draft boards each offseason despite finishing as a top-10 running back in fantasy points per game last year. Much of the hesitation traces back to a well-known backfield split with a rookie teammate, but the full-season split was closer to 65-35 in Williams’ favor, not the even split many assume.”