Buffalo Bills running back James Cook took a significant step forward in this third NFL season, rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring 18 total touchdowns in 16 games.
The latter represented a career high by a large margin, as Cook had never scored more than six times in his first two NFL seasons. That knack for finding the end zone established the Georgia product as the Bills’ top playmaker alongside quarterback Josh Allen, especially after wideout Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston this offseason.
Cook has had mixed results in Buffalo’s two postseason victories. He rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown against Denver on Wild Card Weekend but only managed 67 yards on 17 attempts against Baltimore last Sunday.
What does he have in store for Sunday’s AFC Championship Game in Kansas City? Let’s check out my favorite James Cook props for this must-see matchup.
All NFL odds used for these James Cook prop bets are current as of Friday, Jan. 24, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
James Cook Rushing Attempts Prop
James Cook: Over 13.5 Rush Attempts (-126)
Through the first two postseason rounds, Bills OC Joe Brady has made his game plan quite clear. He wants his team to win at the line of scrimmage with physicality.
Buffalo has responded to that challenge, pounding both Denver and Baltimore into submission with the ground game. The Bills ran the ball 44 times against the Broncos and backed that up with another 36 rushing attempts against the Ravens. I expect a similar approach on Sunday in Kansas City.
- Get ready for the AFC Championship Game with our Bills vs Chiefs prediction.
Some of those carries are going to Josh Allen, but this could be the game where rookie Ray Davis sees fewer touches. And while Ty Johnson has been excellent as the team’s third-down back, his workload shouldn’t be overly impacted by Cook’s unless the Chiefs get up big early.
Cook has had 23 and 17 carries in the first two games, and he should continue to see a bulk of the workload so long as he’s more efficient than he was in the regular-season meeting between these teams when he managed just 20 rushing yards on nine carries.
Sportsbook Play of the Day
James Cook Rushing Yards Prop
James Cook: -25.5 Rushing Yards vs Isiah Pacheco (-115)
This head-to-head bet is one of my favorite James Cook props for this weekend.
There’s no question that Cook is the lead back in Buffalo, but that isn’t the case for Kansas City’s Isiah Pacheco. The third-year pro missed a chunk of the season due to injury and looks to have been supplanted in the Chiefs’ backfield by veteran Kareem Hunt.
Pacheco has been held under four yards per carry in his previous five games and logged 18 rushing yards on five carries last week against Houston. Meanwhile, Hunt has been more efficient and saw eight carries for 44 yards and a score last week.
Cook is projected to have at least five more rushing attempts than Pacheco, giving him ample opportunities to outgain his opposite number by at least 26 yards. I love targeting the Bills’ back in a fade of Pacheco as one of my best NFL bets today.
