James Cook
RB
Buffalo Bills▲ Hot
- Teammate Dalton Kincaid (a top target) is questionable.
- Teammate DJ Moore (a top target) is questionable.
A hurt top target or lead back nudges the projection up a little, since their work tends to shift to teammates. QB and offensive-line flags are shown for context but do not change the number.
This is how RBs have played against the Vikings in the 2026 season.
RB1 = the highest-scoring RB against Vikings in each game, not a fixed depth-chart spot.
| Wk | Team | Player | Car | RuYd | RuTD | Tgt | Rec | ReYd | ReTD | FPts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  GB | MarShawn Lloyd | 13 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 |
| 2 |  CHI | D'Andre Swift | 16 | 45 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 54 | 0 | 12.9 |
| 3 |  TB | Bucky Irving | 15 | 46 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7.8 |
| 4 |  MIA | Ollie Gordon II | 9 | 100 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18.0 |
| 5 |  NO | Kendre Miller | 10 | 30 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.0 |
| 7 |  IND | Jonathan Taylor | 18 | 95 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 19.0 |
| 8 |  DET | Jahmyr Gibbs | 23 | 153 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 24.8 |
| Average | 14.9 | 72.3 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 13.7 | 0.0 | 13.6 | ||
| Median | 15.0 | 46.0 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 0.0 | 12.9 | ||
| High | 23 | 153 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 54 | 0 | 24.8 | ||
| Low | 9 | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.7 | ||
Averages are raw, outliers are never removed.
How James Cook should do vs the VikingsSeason log, the group you pick, and a projection
Season so far, compared with what the group you pick below has done against the Vikings, plus a projection for this game.
What is this table?
Rows at the top are every game James Cook has played this season, using the same stat columns as the table above.
Compare against picks which group of Vikings opponents to line them up with: the best RB they faced in each game (1), the second best (2), the third best (3), or all of the top three. Nobody knows which slot James Cook will land in this week, so this is your call, not a guess.
Vikings avg is the average line of that group. Difference is that minus James Cook's own average: green means the defense gives that slot more than James Cook usually produces.
Projected is James Cook's recent-weighted average scaled by how generous the Vikings were to the slot you picked. Change the slot and the projected points change, because each slot has a different matchup adjustment. Picking Top 3 uses the usual-role projection.
| Wk | Opp | Car | RuYd | RuTD | Tgt | Rec | ReYd | ReTD | FPts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HOU | 13 | 57 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 9.9 |
| 2 | DET | 21 | 135 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20.9 |
| 3 | LAC | 24 | 154 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19.4 |
| 4 | NE | 12 | 75 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 16.3 |
| 5 | LA | 25 | 111 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 22.8 |
| 6 | LV | 22 | 95 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 58 | 0 | 24.3 |
| 8 | BAL | 21 | 80 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 18.1 |
| Cook avg | 19.7 | 101.0 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 15.7 | 0.0 | 18.8 | |
| Vikings RB1 avg | 14.9 | 72.3 | 0.6 | 2.7 | 1.9 | 13.7 | 0.0 | 13.6 | |
| Difference | -4.9 | -28.7 | -0.4 | +0.3 | +0.1 | -2.0 | +0.0 | -5.2 | |
| Projected as RB1 | 17.6 | 90.0 | 0.9 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 14.0 | 0.0 | 17.2 | |
Difference is what the defense allows minus what Cook averages (green = defense gives up more). Projected stats scale the player's averages by the matchup adjustment, so they are a rough guide.
Start / Sit · James CookGood confidence · 18.2 proj pts7/10 start
- James Cook averages 18.8 PPR points over 7 games (recent-weighted 19.7) and has played as the team's RB1.
- The Vikings have allowed 13.6 points to RB1s over 7 games (-16% vs league). The model applies 70% of that gap because the sample is small, giving a -11% adjustment.
- Last season's average (17.8) is blended in at 22% weight because this season's sample is small.
- Game environment +4%: Vegas total 44.5, implied 23.8 points for BUF (league avg 22.6); Favored by 3: leaning run-heavy late; Indoors: no weather effect, a small boost for passing and kicking.
- Opposing-defense injuries (+1%): Opposing starter Andrew Van Ginkel (LB) is questionable, which helps the passing game. Opposing starter Isaiah Rodgers (CB) is questionable, which helps the passing game.
- Teammate injuries (+1%): Teammate Dalton Kincaid (a top target) is questionable, which can mean extra looks for Cook. Teammate DJ Moore (a top target) is questionable, which can mean extra looks for Cook.
- Projection: 18.2 points.
- For reference, a typical weekly starter-level RB scores about 13.1 and a top-tier one about 20.9.
- A statistical model from box scores, Vegas lines, weather and injury tags. It cannot see role changes or in-game events.
Prediction & chance to scoreJames Cook vs the Vikings
Prediction for James Cook
Nobody knows which slot James Cook will land in this week, so pick the one you expect. The projection changes because each slot faces a different average from the Vikings.
I predict about 17.2 points for James Cook if playing as a RB1. James Cook has averaged 18.8 over 7 games, and the Vikings have given up 13.6 to RB1s (-16% vs the league average of 16.1).
How this projection is built
1. The player. James Cook scored: Wk 1 9.9, Wk 2 20.9, Wk 3 19.4, Wk 4 16.3, Wk 5 22.8, Wk 6 24.3, Wk 8 18.1. Average 18.8; weighted toward recent games it is 19.3.
2. The defense. Over 7 games, the Vikings allowed 13.6 points to their opponent's RB1. The league average for that slot is 16.1, so that is -16%.
3. Trusting small samples less. With 7 defensive games, only 70% of the gap is applied, capped at +/-30%. That gives a -11% adjustment (x0.89).
4. Result. 19.3 x 0.89 = 17.2. Switching slots only changes step 2 and 3: the player's own numbers stay the same, but each slot faces a different defensive average.
It is a statistical model, not knowledge of injuries, game script or weather.
Chance to score
Type a point total to see how likely James Cook is to reach it as a RB1.
Why this percentage?
The projection (17.2) is the middle of the range. Fantasy scores swing a lot from game to game, so the model spreads possible scores around it by about 6.9 points, leaning on James Cook's own game-to-game swings once there are several games (and on typical RB swings before that).
Scores are modelled as right-skewed, since a big game is possible but a very negative one is not. The percentage is the share of that spread at or above 17.
With only 7 games of history, treat this as a rough gauge. It gets sharper as the season goes on. It is never lower than 1% or higher than 99%.
InsightsPlain-English takeaways from the table
- RB1s have averaged 14.9 carries, 72.3 rushing yards and 1.9 receptions against the Vikings across 7 games.
- The Vikings allow 13.6 PPR points to RB1s, -16% versus the league average of 16.1 (ranked 27 of 32, where 1 is most generous). That is a tough matchup.
- Outlier: Week 8, Jahmyr Gibbs (24.8 pts, 23 car, 153 rush yds) sits far above the other games and pulls the averages up. Average with it vs without it: pts 13.6 vs 11.7; car 14.9 vs 13.5; rush yds 72.3 vs 58.8. The table above keeps the raw averages.
- Outlier: Week 5, Kendre Miller (30 rush yds) sits far below the other games and drags the averages down. Average with it vs without it: rush yds 72.3 vs 79.3. The table above keeps the raw averages.
- 4 of 7 games reached 10+ PPR points. Scores range from 3.7 to 24.8 (median 12.9).
- Every RB1 in the sample cleared 30 rushing yards.
- RB1s scored a touchdown in 4 of 7 games (57%).
Insights are generated by rules from the table above and recalculate every week.