Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers: James Cook (2023)

The word ‘sleeper’ has maintained its status atop the trendiest fantasy football terminology list for quite some time. And for good reason. Although the semantics of what truly labels a player as a sleeper can be debated, there’s no question that finding the right ones will put your team a step ahead.

Nailing the studs early in a draft is important, but hitting on a sleeper or two later can take you from contender to champion. They aren’t solely limited to the last few rounds, though. Sleepers can be found throughout the draft, as players who are being drafted later than they should. However, the later you get them, the more value you will squeeze out.

A lot can change between now and Week 1, but it’s far better to be early than late when identifying sleepers. I’ll give you a few names to keep an eye on throughout the offseason to put you a step ahead of the competition. And below is a closer look at James Cook.

Early Redraft Sleepers to Target (2023 Fantasy Football)

James Cook (RB – BUF)

The rookie running back, known for his pass-catching, produced some hype last offseason after landing in an explosive Bills offense. The early season returns were not kind to investors, as James Cook was seldom used and appeared out of sync when he was on the field. After fumbling his first NFL carry in Week 1, Cook didn’t touch the ball for the rest of the game. Surprisingly, he carried the ball 11 times in Week 2 for 53 yards but wouldn’t see double-digit touches again until week 11.

To make matters worse, Buffalo acquired Nyheim Hines at the trade deadline, which seemed to all but bury Cook for the remainder of the season. Instead, he reeled off his most productive stretch of the season and relegated Hines to a depth/kick return role with Devin Singletary entrenched as the starter. With just three weeks of double-digit (PPR) fantasy production, each came in the season’s last five weeks.

Despite higher hopes entering the season, a late-season surge shows promise for Cook, especially after flashing on the ground and through the air. We knew he could make plays in the passing game, but averaging 7.12 yards per carry on 25 totes over the last three weeks hints at his potential. With Singletary set to hit free agency, a lot is yet to be determined in this backfield. The biggest concern with Cook may be his protection of Josh Allen, as that’s the most important piece of lining up next to the QB. Even if the Bills are comfortable with that, they will likely either bring Singletary back or add another piece to share the workload, which should be just enough to keep Cook’s cost down, even though he’s good enough to take over.