Christian McCaffrey or James Cook III?
Christian McCaffrey or James Cook III? Both are RBs. Here is what each man's 2025 season was actually built on, updated Aug 17, 2026.
Christian McCaffrey's edge sits in receiving expected points added — efficiency rather than opportunity, and the file measures that as the less repeatable half.
James Cook III leads on rushing attempts, and also on rushing yards over expected and rushing yards over expected per attempt — one side of that is opportunity, the other is efficiency, and they have not historically travelled together.
Figures are 2025 verified play-by-play (nflverse); scored Half-PPR. Repeatability is measured from year-over-year persistence across 2016 to 2025, not projected. Muffed publishes no projections, draft grades or start/sit advice.
Christian McCaffrey
James Cook III
Christian McCaffrey vs James Cook III, 2025
| Metric | Christian McCaffrey | James Cook III |
|---|---|---|
| Half-PPR/G | 16.4 | 17.2 |
| RYOE | 21.1 | 88.5 |
| RYOE/att | 0.35 | 0.96 |
| Carries | 61 | 95 |
| Rec EPA | 2.9 | -1.9 |
What repeats
Christian McCaffrey's edge sits in receiving expected points added — efficiency rather than opportunity, and the file measures that as the less repeatable half. James Cook III leads on rushing attempts, and also on rushing yards over expected and rushing yards over expected per attempt — one side of that is opportunity, the other is efficiency, and they have not historically travelled together. Of the two, James Cook III's season rests on the steadier ground. That is a statement about what each man's production was built on, not a running order — and it is a description of 2025, not a forecast of 2026.
Settle it — hear both stories
The same verified data, told as the story of each man's season.
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Cite this
Muffed, “Christian McCaffrey vs James Cook III, 2025 verified comparison,” muffed.ai/compare/christian-mccaffrey-vs-james-cook. Through the 2026 season. Data via nflverse; NFL Next Gen Stats via nflverse.
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