Should I Start James Cook in Week 2? RB Fantasy Football Rankings Analysis

Usage. Opportunities. Touches. Targets. Snaps.

In fantasy football, those words sometimes mean more than the actual box score when projecting the production outlook of players. Case and point, James Cook.

The second-year running back didn't have a great fantasy performance in Week 1 against a stingy New York Jets defense. He tallied 46 yards on 12 carries and added four catches for 17 yards in the passing game. The 10.3 PPR points landed Cook as the RB27 on the week. Let's look beyond the box score and determine Cook's outlook this season.

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James Cook Fantasy Football Outlook

There were two major questions surrounding Cook heading into fantasy football drafts this offseason: Is he big enough to survive a 17-game season and will he get a lion's share of the workload in Buffalo? The first question will remain unanswered for the time being but we did get a glance into the potential answer for question two. Cook's 18 opportunities (carries plus targets) more than doubled the seven between backup running backs Damien Harris and Latavius Murray.

The only delay in sending Cook's stocks to the moon is that we did not get any clarity on which runner will receive work from the goal line. On the Bills' lone drive inside the ten in Week 1, Harris received a carry before Josh Allen tossed a short touchdown to Stefon Diggs. Plus, when the Bills operated their two-minute drill to attempt to tie the game on Monday night, Murray was on the field as a pass protector.

James Cook Running Back Rankings Analysis

The ranking staff at Rotoballer is high on James Cook this week. In PPR formats, the ex-Georgia Bulldog ranks 32nd overall and 14th among running backs for Week 2.

Cook is being ranked ahead of Jahmyr Gibbs, Joshua Kelley (who is expected to start for the injured Austin Ekeler), Rachaad White, Dameon Pierce, and Najee Harris. Outside of the high-opportunity number, the Raiders allowed the fourth-most fantasy points in the NFL to opposing running backs in 2022. The Bills are also the second-biggest favorites (-8.5) heading into the weekend which should present more chances to run the football.

Should I Start James Cook In Week 2 Fantasy Football?

James Cook finished second in targets on his team (behind Diggs) in Week 1. The Raiders let up ten catches to Broncos' running backs (and fullback) on 12 targets in their Week 1 matchup. That kind of volume in the passing game alone is worth a flex play.

When you add in what Cook offers on the ground, he is right on the line of an RB1 or RB2 for Week 2. Start Cook with confidence in your lineup.

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