JamesCook III

News: 2 days agoCook rushed 12 times for 75 yards and a touchdown and brought in both targets for eight yards in the Bills' 29-26 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.

Spin: Cook consistently ripped off productive gains on the ground against the Patriots' defense, with his longest run of the day going for a relatively modest 17 yards. Cook's overall rushing opportunities were still somewhat capped, and he finished with a new season low in carries. However, the talented back extended his streak of games with a rushing TD to three when he went in from eight yards out early in the second quarter. Cook has now averaged well over 6.0 yards per carry for three straight games and is up to 421 rushing yards and three scores on the ground heading into a Week 5 road showdown against the Rams on Monday night, Oct. 12.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Cook signed a contract extension last offseason and was immediately vaulted into the biggest role of his career. The 2022 second-round NFL draft pick finished in the top five among backs in carries, rushing yards (league-high 1,621), touchdowns and yards per carry (5.25). The one limiting factor in Cook's fantasy output was a minimal receiving role (his 40 targets ranked 26th among RBs), but he still came through with a sixth-place finish in fantasy points. The 26-year-old is set to play the same role in Joe Brady's scheme and will be a candidate for his third straight double-digit touchdown campaign as long as Josh Allen is under center. Consider Cook a midrange RB1.