Where Do I Draft James Cook For Fantasy Football In 2023?

“[Cook is] going to take a large portion of the carries and in the pass game, he’s going to be kind of a dual threat guy for us". That's a quote from Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, in a recent interview with Sirius XM.

James Cook appears to be entrenched atop the Bills' depth chart, despite the offseason additions of Damien Harris and Latavius Murray. There are nearly 1,100 yards of production up for grabs from last season, left vacant by the departure of Devin Singletary (Houston).

Where should you draft James Cook in fantasy drafts? That answer may change depending on when your draft is.

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Can James Cook Handle Every-Down Production?

Cook got off to a slow start in his rookie season, putting together a snap share so putrid, that he was being cut from some fantasy rosters after the first six weeks of the season. It wasn't until Week 13 against the Patriots that Cook cracked 40%. That rate essentially held through the end of the regular season. In those five games, Cook scored 10 or more fantasy points in PPR formats three times. Coaches expect those snap shares to bump up even higher in 2023.

The potential downside comes in the touchdown department. Damien Harris figures to profile as the short-yardage back, plus Josh Allen will run for several touchdowns on his own (seven in 2022). The Bills also finished in the bottom half of the league in run rate the last three seasons. Cook has been excelling in the passing game so far in training camp, cementing his role as, at worst, the third-down back.

Where Should You Draft James Cook For Fantasy Football?

James Cook is a prime target for fantasy managers who construct their roster with a "Zero RB" or "Hero RB" strategy. His ADP since July 1 is at 83, meaning you can snag Cook as your RB2 in the seventh round of a 12-team league.

When the window is shortened to just include drafts done the first week of August, Cook's ADP is up to 75. That could keep climbing if the narrative of Cook being an every-down back for one of the league's best offenses continues to emerge from training camp. By the time the end of August rolls around, Cook could be coming off draft boards in the fifth or sixth round.

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