James Cook

James Cook enters 2026 as one of the safer early-round running back picks in fantasy because his role in Buffalo looks stable and his production has already shown top-tier upside. He is coming off a huge 2025 season, and recent preseason outlooks still have him ranked in the RB5-RB7 range with first-round consideration in PPR formats.

The biggest boost to his value is continuity: Cook remains with the Bills after signing a new long-term deal, so there is no team change to worry about and no sign of a cut or trade that would hurt his workload. That matters because Buffalo has every reason to keep feeding an explosive back who has already delivered elite fantasy points per game and strong touchdown production over the last two seasons.

From a fantasy angle, Cook’s appeal is built on a high weekly floor with real ceiling. He combines efficient rushing with enough receiving work to keep him usable even when game script gets weird, and multiple 2026 previews project him as a top-8 back with a strong chance to finish inside the top 5 again. The main caution is that some analysts expect his workload to be a little less extreme than last year, so a repeat of his biggest volume numbers is not guaranteed.

The bottom line is that Cook looks like a confident draft-day target rather than a risky one. If you want a running back who should stay heavily involved in a good offense, score touchdowns, and give you both stability and week-winning upside, James Cook fits that profile very well in 2026.