Running back James Cook and the Buffalo Bills agreed to a four-year, $48 million contract extension Wednesday, per NFL Media.
Cook's hold-in was a much-discussed topic on Hard Knocks but now will be resolved heading into the 2025 NFL season.
Fantasy football players have been drafting Cook so far assuming he would miss time and/or have a widely expected statistical regression toward the mean (more on that below).
How should fantasy managers position Cook on their draft boards with the new deal in place? Keep reading for the best ways to navigate Cook's value and the Bills' backfield as a whole.
Fantasy football concerns for James Cook in 2025
Touchdown regression
Besides this dispute, the largest hang-up with Cook's 2025 fantasy draft price -- typically in Round 3, with a FantasyPros PPR average draft position (ADP) of 32.0 (RB13) -- was whether he would find the end zone anywhere close to how frequently he did in 2024.
Cook's 18 touchdowns (16 rushing) amplified his solid but not elite value from workload alone.
Logging a 48.4% goal-line rush share ranked just 24th, but Cook was ultra-successful with an NFL RB-best 7.7% TD rate on rushing attempts.
1️⃣ Touchdown Regression
— Andrew Erickson™ (@AndrewErickson_) August 11, 2025
TDs aren’t sticky year to year.
See who scored too many (or too few) TDs based on where they got their touches - so you can spot bounce-backs & busts fast.
One player primed to score less? James Cook…https://t.co/IWK2clm3yu pic.twitter.com/E7eNXl5rOt
Sure, keeping franchise quarterback Josh Allen safe for the long term means Cook may approach those numbers.
Still, Allen has plenty of designed runs as a TD vulture and could be considered Buffalo's primary goal-line back.
This is not to say Cook isn't a talented back. It's merely that fantasy players should not blindly bank on Cook repeating his dazzling scoring efficiency.
Not a true bellcow back?
Without overperforming in that category again, Cook's upside will depend on an increased workload. Buffalo has enjoyed mixing in Ray Davis and Ty Johnson, so Cook may not be a true bell cow, even with the payday.
In 16 games, Cook collected a standout 1,267 yards from scrimmage, but his 32 receptions put him just below many of the top backs in terms of workload. His 44 targets ranked 30th among all running backs.
Davis has been a popular RB handcuff on the notion that Cook might hold out for regular-season games; plus, a Cook injury would vault the Kentucky alum into near every-week lineup consideration.
Ty Johnson also remains in two as a pass-catching alternative with plenty of experience.
James Cook fantasy strategy for 2025 drafts
The best time to buy Cook probably has passed.
Any early drafts in rooms with competitors wary of his status could've led to a profitable fall in ADP.
Now that he's locked in for 2025, fantasy drafters may hold his current cost or even bump him up boards.
As of Wednesday, Aug. 13, we at The Sporting News rank Cook 47th overall (RB17) in PPR and 45th (RB17) in non-PPR rankings.
Depending on league scoring settings and how the player pools fall off the draft board, I would price Cook anywhere from RB15-RB20, with a little ding for PPR because he's not as involved in the aerial game and faces plenty of competition from both handcuffs.
Still, those deploying a hybrid Zero-RB strategy could wind up having Cook as an RB1 and feel comfortable, though I'd rather him fall to Round 5 before I click his name in that sense.
Even with his frequent presence in a high-octane offense, this newfound job security probably won't make him any less of a fantasy football bust candidate, especially if the aggressiveness around stretching a round or two for him increases.
How Cook's contract affects the Bills fantasy offense
- Davis remains a handcuff target of interest in the middle rounds. As a fantasy RB5, he could deliver massive profit and even start as a flex some weeks while Cook is healthy.
- Johnson is merely a last-round stash in PPR games but could improve his value with any time Cook misses.
- None of this changes Allen's status as one of the top two quarterbacks in fantasy rankings.
- Cook's presence does not change the wildly uncertain picture among the crowded receiving group.