James Cook III is ranked #6 among 110 eligible NFL running backs. He profiles as a bench or matchup-based option — draft late or stream when the schedule lines up. His final five games came in 2.0 points per game below his average, and the workload confirms it: 17.8 touches/game over that stretch vs 20.5 on the season — a real role change worth monitoring.
Percentile95%
2025 season results · Computed from official box scores · Full-PPR scoring, ranked by last-season total points · updated July 27
SOLID PICK
James Cook III 2026 fantasy outlook
17.3Proj FPTS · ~294 / 17 games
10.7–22.5Typical game · middle 50%
#141QB draft rank
#26Superflex rank
#28 · RB6Scoring rank · position
14.3ADP (ESPN drafts)
Market price (ADP 14.3) lines up with our rank (#14 overall and RB6 in 1QB Full-PPR drafts). Draft confidently at his current ADP. Projection drivers: shrinking workload (17.8 touches/gm late vs 20.5 season), steady per-touch efficiency.
INJURY RISK Low?AGE/WORKLOAD RISK Medium?ROLE SECURITY Contested?How we grade risk
Projection updated July 27 · ESPN ADP updated July 27 · Range = 25th–75th percentile of his 2025 game log
BUF 2026 schedule — bye week 7
17 GAMES · SEASON STARTS SEPT
W1
@HOU
W2
DET
W3
LAC
W4
NE
W5
@LAR
W6
@LV
W7
BYE
W8
BAL
W9
@MIN
W10
@NYJ
W11
MIA
W12
KC
W13
@NE
W14
@GB
W15
CHI
W16
@DEN
W17
@MIA
W18
NYJ
Plan around the week-7 bye when pairing Cook with other RBs on your roster.
James Cook III consistency and floor
17 GAMES
4.9
Floor (p10)
17.8
Average
31.1
Ceiling (p90)
Consistency75%+ of average delivered65%
Boom rate125%+ of average29%
Bust rateunder half of average24%
17.8
Season avg FPTS
16.4
Last 10 FPTS
15.8
Last 5 FPTS
Cook vs other running backs
PERCENTILE · 110 RANKED
Rush yards1,62199
Rush TD1296
Targets4077
Receptions3380
Rec yards29186
Rec TD288
Fantasy PPG17.895
Percentile among all ranked NFL running backs · 99 = best
He's a depth option, not a priority pick: #21 overall, #6 at his position. Draft late or stream based on matchups.
QWhat round should James Cook III be drafted in?
His current ADP in ESPN drafts is 14.3 (roughly round 2 in a 12-team league). We rank him #14 in 1QB Full-PPR drafts, so he is fairly priced.
QHow many fantasy points will James Cook III score in 2026?
We project 17.3 PPR points per game across an expected 17 games — approximately 294 points for the season. His typical game last season landed between 10.7 and 22.5 (middle 50% of results), and that puts him #28 in projected scoring (#14 on the 1QB draft board once positional value is applied).
QHow consistent is James Cook III for fantasy?
He delivered at least 75% of his average in 65% of games, with a floor of 4.9 and a ceiling of 31.1 fantasy points. He boomed (125%+ of average) in 29% of games and busted (under half his average) in 24%.
Answers computed by TurfSplit from official box scores.
