Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off with a huge Thursday Night Football matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. This could be a preview of Super Bowl 57. One of the major storylines in fantasy football is how the Bills will handle their three-headed backfield. We dive into what that means and what rookie running back James Cook’s fantasy managers can expect from him in Week 1.
James Cook’s fantasy outlook against the Rams
Ranked 49th in our expert’s 2022 running back rankings for PPR leagues, Cook is not a traditional starting option this early in the season. You likely have two or more backs you’re more confident in for Thursday Night Football. But should Cook earn some consideration?
The Bills have built what looks to be an ideal three-back platoon with Devin Singletary, Cook, and Zack Moss. Singletary went on a tear to end 2021, yet the team was proactive in adding a receiving back. Don’t forget; the Bills made a strong push to land J.D. McKissic before the veteran returned to Washington after verbally agreeing to a deal with the Bills.
Investing a second-round pick into Cook was a significant decision for an offense that targeted their backs on only 15% of their passes last year. It shows this unit wants to give quarterback Josh Allen some easy completions and a quality checkdown option. New offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey saw firsthand how ineffective both Singletary and Moss were as receivers.
Inserting a specialist like Cook can be beneficial in unlocking the unit. Singletary would ideally switch to an early-down back who thrives against light boxes as defenses respect Allen’s passing prowess. Cook could take third downs and passing situations. Then, Moss would become a short-yardage and goal-line back.
This is not ideal for most fantasy managers who justifiably want a workhorse situation. But Buffalo has been a tough situation for backs anyway because Allen will run as often as any of the backs. Adding Cook was a move to keep Allen in the pocket more and force the issue less often.
Week 1 against a defense that ranked 10th in fantasy points allowed to backs is a good time to break Cook into that role, but not one managers can rely upon. Cook’s fantasy value is reliant on him scoring touchdowns. With Bobby Wagner now manning the middle of the Rams’ defense, it’s hard to believe backs will suddenly become great receiving threats against them when the unit was already geared towards stopping that weakness.
Now is a time to start preemptively adding Cook to the end of your roster, even if it’s not the right time to start him. With this game coming in prime time, he could break out quickly and become a waiver wire hit. How Dorsey utilizes Cook will go a long way in how this crowded backfield plays out.
With the right balance, Cook’s fantasy value can climb to a Flex option for managers. A high-end pass-catching back in a high-octane offense is always rostered.