RB Dalvin Cook - Minnesota Vikings

5-10, 210

Born: 8-10-1995

College: Florida State

Drafted: Round 2, pick 2017

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Photo: Brad Rempel, US Presswire

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Week 11: vs Denver Broncos

All RB vs DEN

FBG says: Tough matchup. The Vikings rushing offense overall ranks third in the league with 153 rushing yards per game as Dalvin Cook is having an MVP-caliber season. Cook leads the league in rushing attempts (203) and rushing yards (991), averaging 4.9 yards per rush with 10 rushing touchdowns--third-most in the league. He has rushed 20 or more times in four straight games and in 7-of-10 outings this season, failing to score a touchdown in just two games this season. This entire Vikings offense runs through Cook for good reason as he has looked like one of the best pure rushers in the league this season. Alexander Mattison continues to be marginally involved spelling Cook, rushing eight times for 52 yards last week as he has crossed the 50-yard mark five times this season despite playing a clear second-fiddle to Cook while having yet to play on more than a third of the snaps in a game. The offensive line continues to excel in run-blocking while struggling against the pass. Right guard Josh Kline exited the game early last week with a concussion, so his status will be in question coming into this week. His absence would be a blow to this group, as backup Dakota Dozier has been a clear downgrade during the instances in which he has filled in throughout this season. The Broncos defense has been decent overall against the run since their Week 4 implosion against the Jaguars. In their last five games, they have allowed only one rushing touchdown and the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game (non-PPR scoring) to opposing running backs. That span of games included holding the likes of Melvin Gordon, Derrick Henry, and Nick Chubb all to fewer than 3.3 yards per carry with no touchdowns. This group has the pieces to maintain their success against the run, including a deep defensive line, a pair of excellent run-defending safeties, and what has been one of the most fruitful mid-season additions in football in A.J. Johnson--who has come on as an excellent run-defending linebacker after getting his first chance to start in Week 5. The elite Vikings rushing offense should have their hands full in this one.

Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP		oSNAP	RSH	YD	TD	TARG	REC	YD	TD	FumL	Pts
7	at DET		51	25	142	2	2	1.0	7	0	0	26.9
8	vs WAS		51	23	98	1	6	5.0	73	0	0	23.1
9	at KC		57	21	71	0	7	4.0	45	0	0	11.6
10	at DAL		57	26	97	1	7	7.0	86	0	0	24.3
11	vs DEN	PROJ-Dodds	*	19	*	*		4.2	*	*	*	*
11	vs DEN	PROJ-Tremblay	*	19	*	*		4.0	*	*	*	*
11	vs DEN	PROJ-Bloom	*	22	*	*		4.0	*	*	*	*

Weekly Performance vs RB 1, RB 12, RB 24, RB 36

Percentile ranks

Dalvin Cook's percentile rank in each category, among RB with more than 50 fantasy points.

Recent Game Summaries

2019 Week 10 vs DAL (26 / 97 / 1 rush, 7 / 7 / 86 / 0 rec)

In the battle of elite running backs, Cook came out on top for the Vikings this week. He had over 100 yards rushing until a failed drive that lost 4 total yards at the end of the game. He was the leading rusher and receiver for the Vikings this week and had a real chance at 100 yards receiving and rushing in the same game. Cook's longest run went for 23 yards and longest catch went for 30. The Vikings attacked Dallas on the outside and tried to exploit their overly aggressive defensive ends. IT took second half adjustments of using 2 tight ends sets or pulling the full back in front of Cook to find success on the outside. The speed of the Dallas linebackers kept Cook from getting to the outside several times, but the Vikings were committed to the run this week and kept trying. Cook's touchdown came on a 4th and 2 play where he broke to the outside and sprinted into the end zone. Cook is the top option for the Vikings offense right now with Thielen out due to injury. The Vikings made the second half adjustments to break Cook free while Dallas sis not change anything, and Elliot was bottled up. Cook should see a lot of work again next week at home against the Broncos and needs just 9 rushing yards to go over 1,000 for the season

2019 Week 9 vs KC (21 / 71 / 0 rush, 7 / 4 / 45 / 0 rec)

Kansas City's defense has been ripe for the picking against top ranked offenses but Cook and the Vikings could not get anything going this week. They were stubborn and would not move off of Cook to try anything different on the ground. They ran him 21 times with the next closest rusher getting 3 carries. Cook's longest run went for 12 yards and he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry this week. Cook had more than 100 yards from scrimmage, but he proved to be ineffective for the most part this week. He had a 22-yard screen play that setup the go-ahead touchdown to Rudolph, but he caught just 4 of his 7 targets and dealt with a wildly inaccurate Kirk Cousins this week. Cook saw Damien Williams break a 91-yard touchdown run against the Viking defense but never got his chance to break free. The Vikings rushing attack combined for under 100 yards total and the offensive coordinator refused to move off of what was clearly not working. Cook will look to reset next week against Dallas.

2019 Week 8 vs WAS (23 / 98 / 1 rush, 6 / 5 / 73 / 0 rec)

Cook fell just short of his 6th 100-yard rushing performance of the season, but he more than made up with it in total yardage. The Viking offense had no trouble moving the ball in between the 30's this week but had trouble punching it into the end zone. Cook scored the lone Viking touchdown this week on a 4-yard power run just before half time where he took the ball off guard and extended the ball into the end zone. The goal to go situation was setup by a 31-yard screen pass he caught where he started to the outside and cut back across the field for the big gain. The Vikings let the clock wind almost all the way down before the 3rd down play that went in for the touchdown. Cook had 23 rushes and 6 targets this week and saw another 13 carries and 2 targets go to Alexander Mattison. Cook is the clear number 1 and work horse in Minnesota but the Vikings trust both of their running backs right now and that should help reserve the legs of Cook for the entire season.

2019 Week 7 vs DET (25 / 142 / 2 rush, 2 / 1 / 7 / 0 rec)

The Vikings ended up needing every single yard from Cook as well as his 2 touchdowns this week. Cook was given a season high 25 carries this week and turned that into a 5.7 yards per carry average and his 5th 100-yard game of the season. He did not play a very big role in the passing game this week and caught 1 of his 2 targets for 7 yards. His first touchdown went for 8 yards off the left end. Cook took the hand off and powered his way into the end zone for the score. He followed a big clear out block by Irv Smith and did not make contact with a defender until he got to the goal line. His second touchdown put the game out of reach for Detroit and came after a big 66-yard reception by Stefon Diggs. Cook took the ball right up the middle of the defense and was stopped initially before bouncing off a defender and cutting to the outside for the score. He could have easily gone down and let more clock run but found another hole and put the Vikings up by 2 scores. Cook continues to be one of the best running backs in the NFL this season and will take on a soft Redskins run defense on Thursday night.

2019 Week 6 vs PHI (16 / 41 / 1 rush, 2 / 2 / 13 / 0 rec)

Cook showed that he was human this week and had what most would consider a down game. He averaged just 2.6 yards per carry and broke a single run for a long of 14 yards. He caught both of his targets in the passing game but had just 13 yards to show for it. The big play came when he took the ball off the left side for a 1-yard touchdown run. He cut to the outside and went off tackle for the touchdown without being touched by a defender. Cook has been the work horse for the Vikings so far this season, but Mattison has shown that he can handle more work and give Cook a break when needed. Cook had 18 touches to 14 for Mattison this week. Do not expect the split to be that close going forward, but Cook is going to be scaled back a bit as the offense starts to balance out.

2019 Week 5 vs NYG (21 / 132 / 0 rush, 6 / 6 / 86 / 0 rec)

It is easy to overlook some mistakes when you account for more than 200 yards of total offense and one of your fumbles results in a safety and then a field goal on the ensuing drive. Cook has been a force all season long and took full advantage of playing a defense that was not the Bears this week. He benefitted from a quarterback that was pushing the ball down the field and the Giants were unable to stack the box to try and stop him. Cook had a long 41-yard run to setup an Adam Thielen touchdown and was the longest play on the ground for either team. He did not find the end zone this week and fumbled away his best chance just before half time. Cook ripped off a 19-yard run off the edge but was chased down by Jabrill Peppers and had the ball punched out. Adam Thielen narrowly missed recovering the fumble on the 1-yard line before the Giants got it. Cook would most likely have gotten the ensuing carry and would have had a chance for an easy touchdown. Cook chipped in 6 catches on 6 targets and was the second leading receiver for the team this week. He had a long 24-yard catch and run on a wheel route and acted as a safety valve for Cousins this week.

2019 Week 4 vs CHI (14 / 35 / 1 rush, 8 / 6 / 35 / 0 rec)

Cook fell a single yard behind Christian McCaffrey for the league lead in rushing yards after the Vikings brutal offensive performance against the Bears this week. The offensive line could not block their way out of a paper bag this week and there were no holes for Cook to run through. His longest run of the night went for 9 yards and he could not find the same success of the edge that he has all season. Cook finally broke through in the 4th quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run but it was too little too late for an offense that missed the 2-point conversion and then turned the ball over on downs the next drive. Cook caught 6 of his 8 targets out of the back field with his longest going for 13 yards. He ended with 70 total yards on the day against a Bears defense that was missing 2 of its starters. Cook is going to see an extra man in the box going forward until Cousins can show that he can throw the ball over the top. It has been a great start for Cook but things are going to get much tougher in the coming weeks.

2019 Week 3 vs OAK (16 / 110 / 1 rush, 5 / 4 / 33 / 0 rec)

Another week and another 100-yard game for the leading rusher in the NFL. Cook has been on an absolute tear to start the season and the Vikings even reined him in this week in an effort to keep him fresh down the stretch. Cook had 16 carries while Mattison had 12. He still managed to surpass 100 yards and averaged 6.9 yards per carry. Cook had a long run of 25 yards off tackle and down the sideline and had his own 1-yard touchdown run up the middle. He saw a touchdown sniped from him when Thielen took the ball 1-yard on a jet sweep, but it did not seem to matter who ran the ball for the Vikings this week as they almost all found the end zone. Cook also caught 4 of his 5 targets and had a long 18-yard catch for a first down to help burn some clock. This is the first time the Vikings have eased off Cook in favor of Mattison but Cook also has a long history of injury and should get the rest when he can. Cook has a tough matchup next week against a stout Bears rush defense but seems confident as no one has been able to slow him down yet this season.

2019 Week 2 vs GB (20 / 154 / 1 rush, 3 / 3 / 37 / 0 rec)

There is only so much a single player can do for a team each week. Cook currently leads the NFL in rushing yards and looks fully healthy for the first time in his NFL career. He has been rewarded by terrible quarterback play and the Vikings currently sit at 1-1 on the season. Cook had nearly 200 all purpose yards this week, including a 75-yard touchdown run when the Vikings were down 21-0. Cook burst off the right tackle and sprinted all the way to the end zone for a play that should have energized the entire offense. Unfortunately, the next 3 drives for the Vikings went punt, punt, and interception. Cook chipped in 3 catches on 3 targets and did everything he could in the 4th quarter to give Cousins a chance to take the lead. The one lapse for Cook was an offensive pass interference call that came on a 3-yard Diggs touchdown catch. The play was challenged, reviewed, and the offensive pass interference call was added after the original play was called a touchdown. Cook averaged 7.7 yards per carry on 20 touches and is not threatened by Mattison behind him at all. With the struggles of Cousins under center, look for the Vikings to run the ball early and often next week against the Raiders.

2019 Week 1 vs ATL (21 / 111 / 2 rush, 2 / 2 / 9 / 0 rec)

Vikings fans have been waiting for Cook to be healthy since he was drafted in 2017. It looks like they may have finally gotten their wish as Cook torched the Falcons on the ground and looked to be every bit of the back he was with Florida State. Cook showed speed, power, and vision as he carried the Vikings to their first win in 2019. Cooks first touchdown came on a 19-yard burst off the left side. He outran the defensive end to the corner and then followed the lead block of Thielen into the end zone for an easy touchdown. Cook showed a quick burst of speed and proved that his knee is finally healthy. His second touchdown was a 7-yard power run right up the middle. Cook and a host of Viking linemen pushed the pile the last 4 yards into the end zone. Cook had a 23-yard run off the right side for the longest play on the ground for either team. The Vikings exploited the speed of Cook and his ability to get the edge on several plays and helped amass his first 100-yard game of the season. Cook was the work horse this week and the Vikings do not appear to be limiting his reps to try and keep him healthy in the early going.

Latest News

Vikings | Dalvin Cook keeps producing (Fri Nov 15, 10:25 PM) - Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has delivered recorded at least 100 total yards of offense in eight of the 10 games this season.

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Vikings | Dalvin Cook heats up in Dallas (Mon Nov 11, 12:25 AM) - Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook ran 26 times for 97 yards and a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Nov. 10. Cook also caught seven passes for 86 yards.

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Vikings | Dalvin Cook held mostly in check (Sun Nov 3, 07:31 PM) - Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook rushed 21 times for a mediocre 71 yards in Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He added four catches for 45 yards on seven targets, too.

Our View: Cook had a floor game and a lot of credit should go to the Chiefs beleaguered defense. He'll face the Cowboys dynamic linebacker duo next week.
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