Ray Davis

Ray Davis enters the 2026 season as Buffalo’s clear No. 2 running back behind James Cook, which keeps him on the fantasy radar mainly as an injury-away stash rather than a weekly starter. Recent preseason reports also show he is healthy after a brief August practice scare, so there is no current injury concern threatening his role.

The problem for fantasy managers is that Davis still looks trapped in a limited-touch backup role. Recent outlooks project modest production, with estimates ranging from low-end flex-level output to roughly RB70s territory, and the common theme is that he is unlikely to see enough volume for standalone value while Cook is active.

That said, Davis remains one of the more appealing handcuff bets in fantasy because he has already shown he can produce when given extra work, especially when Buffalo’s backfield opens up. He is a physical runner with usable hands, and his best path to relevance is simple: if Cook misses time, Davis would immediately become a priority pickup and could step into meaningful early-down and goal-line work.

For draft purposes, Davis makes the most sense in deeper leagues or as the final bench running back on a roster built around fragile volume elsewhere. In a friendly redraft setup, he is a sensible late-round insurance policy for Cook managers, but outside of that specific handcuff case, his 2026 ceiling depends almost entirely on an injury ahead of him on the depth chart.