While football fans wait for the start of the 2026 season, it is never too soon to prepare for fantasy football. James Cook is coming off one of the greatest rushing season’s in Buffalo Bills history, having led the NFL in rush yards in 2025. Past success does not guaranteed future success, so I was curious how ESPN’s panel of fantasy football experts would rate Cook.
As you would probably imagine, Cook is seen as one of the top running backs in fantasy football. The ESPN panel has him as the 6th
ranked running back heading into this season, trailing only Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian McCaffrey, Jonathan Taylor, and De’Von Achane. Cook was the sixth-highest scoring running back according to ESPN last season – falling behind the five running backs listed ahead of him this year.
Many experts thought there may be some type of a regression for Cook in 2025, as he was coming off a season with 18 total touchdowns. Cook was able to quiet any of those doubts, as he finished 2025 with a total of 14 touchdowns (12 rushing and 2 receiving). ESPN projections have Cook scoring 13 touchdowns this season (11 rushing and 2 receiving) with a total of 1,702 all-purpose yards.
After back-to-back seasons with 14+ touchdowns, Cook can be considered one of the safer bets in fantasy football. With his past production and relatively high expectations for 2026, owners will need to target Cook in the late first round to get him on their rosters.
