The NFL season is quickly approaching, and fantasy drafts are starting. At DraftKings, you can play an array of different season-long fantasy contests.
This is a look at the fantasy value of all of the players in the Buffalo Bills’ backfield.
Buffalo Bills Backfield
The Bills are one of the NFL’s best teams and highest-scoring offenses. Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and is looking to finally break through to the Super Bowl in 2025-26. One contributing factor in the team’s recent success is the big leap forward that the Bills’ running game took during last season, largely thanks to James Cook. Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in football for the past few years, but the running game was often lacking, outside of Allen himself. In Allen’s rookie season, he was the team’s leading rusher. Over the next four seasons, Devin Singletary was the primary back in Buffalo and was not up to the task for an offense with Super Bowl aspirations.
In 2023, Cook stepped in and immediately changed the dynamic of the offense by rushing for over 1,100 yards. Despite the productive year running the football, Cook only scored two rushing touchdowns. Whenever the Bills got close to the goal line, they put the ball in the hands of Allen, who finished the season with 15 rushing touchdowns. That dynamic changed in 2024-25 with Cook earning more trust. Allen was still a force, rushing for over 500 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, Cook was even better on the ground, rushing for over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns. That mark tied him for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns last season.
Cook established himself as a top-tier fantasy running back and should have another great season in 2025-26. Behind Cook on the depth chart are Ray Davis and Ty Johnson. Johnson is the veteran option, heading into his seventh year in the league. However, it was the rookie Davis who emerged as the clear RB2 for the Bills last season. Davis had over 100 carries and rushed for 442 yards with six total touchdowns during the regular season. Davis also scored the Bills’ first touchdown in their AFC Divisional Round win over the Ravens. Heading into his sophomore campaign, Davis’ role should only continue to grow.
Running Back Handcuffs: Ray Davis
Davis is a great handcuff option for fantasy managers this coming season. Cook has established himself as one of the best running backs in the league, and as long as he is healthy, it should be another great season from him. However, the Bills are also one of the best teams in football and often find themselves leading games in the fourth quarter when they’ll want to run out the clock. When their lead is substantial enough, they will rest the likes of Allen and Cook, which should give Davis some free touches at the end of games throughout the season to bolster his stats.
Ray Davis proved what he can do when given a larger responsibility in the offense. Cook missed one game last season in Week 7 against the Jets and Davis took over as the primary back. The rookie ended up leading the Bills in both rushing and receiving, going for 152 all-purpose yards. Also, in Week 18 of last season, the Bills benched their starters for most of the game. After Cook exited a few minutes into the second quarter, Davis took over as the primary back. He finished the game with 15 carries for 64 yards, also hauling in a receiving touchdown.
Cook has done a good job of staying healthy throughout his career, but if he were to ever miss a stretch of games, Davis would be ready to step in and produce. Even if Cook stays healthy, Davis’ workload should increase this season. The Bills are a team focused on the long-term goal of winning a Super Bowl. They will want to prioritize keeping Cook healthy and fit for the postseason, not grinding him down with 20+ carries in every game of the regular season. As Davis continues to build up trust with the Bills’ coaching staff, he should get more opportunities to contribute to the offense on a weekly basis.
