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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News you need to know

General News (Mon Jan 13): The Minnesota Vikings are interested in beginning discussions with Dalvin Cook on a contract extension during the offseason.

Week 20: bye week

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Recent Stats and Projections

WEEK	OPP	oSNAP	RSH	YD	TD	TARG	REC	YD	Pts
16	vs GB	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0
17	vs CHI	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0	0
18	at NO	62	28	94	2	5	3.0	36	25
19	at SF	38	9	18	0	8	6.0	8	1.6

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 19 vs SF (9 / 18 / 0 rush, 8 / 6 / 8 / 0 rec)

It was a rough day for the Viking offense and it started with Cook. Not only did the offensive line struggle to protect Cousins, but they also could not open any holes for Cook. He tied his season-low for carries with 9 and averaged just 2 yards per carry. His longest run went for 6 yards and the running game was just not there. Cook led the team with 8 targets and made 6 catches for just 8 yards. The 49ers defense did a great job swarm tackling and did not let Cook get to the second level. The screen game that had worked so well for the Vikings this season was nowhere to be found. It was a great bounce-back season for Cook and he was able to avoid the big injury. Look for another 1,000-yard season next year as long as he can stay healthy again.

2019 Week 18 vs NO (28 / 94 / 2 rush, 5 / 3 / 36 / 0 rec)

The Vikings success in the playoffs will rest squarely on how effective Cook can be running the ball. The entire offense feeds off the run and then play action. Cook looked great in the 1st half and was on pace to be the first 100-yard rusher against the Saints this season. Things slowed down in the 2nd half and Cook struggled in the 4th quarter. Cook would have broken 100 yards had he not been tackled for a 7-yard loss and a 2-yard loss with under 4 minutes to play. His longest run went for 22 yards off the edge as the Vikings continued their love to stretch running plays. Cook found the end zone twice this week. The first was a 5-yard rush behind the right guard to cap a drive after a Drew Brees interception. Cook weaved his way through defenders and powered into the end zone. His second touchdown came from a yard out after a Stefon Diggs catch got them to the 1 and Cousins failed on a QB sneak up the middle. Cook led the team in rushing and was second in receiving this week. He caught 3 of his 5 targets with the longest going for 19 yards on a swing pass. His 19-yard catch was the second longest passing play of the game for the Vikings. Late in the 4th quarter, Cook almost made a disastrous play when he was tackled for an 8-yard loss, fumbled, and watched the Saints return the ball for a touchdown. The play was reviewed and eventually overturned after seeing his knee touch the ground before the ball popped loose. The Vikings stayed conservative after this play and the Saints were able to get the ball back and drive down the field for a game tying filed goal. Cook made good on his 4th quarter struggles with an 11-yard run in over time to help setup the game winning touchdown.

2019 Week 17 vs CHI (0 / 0 / 0 rush, 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)

The most important player the Vikings needed to rest this week was Cook. He has been dealing with a shoulder injury and is a very important piece for this Viking offense heading into the playoffs. Cook was limited in practice all week and was ruled out on Friday. Cook has said he plans on playing in the playoffs for the Vikings.

2019 Week 16 vs GB (0 / 0 / 0 rush, 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 rec)

Cook was ruled out early in the week with the same shoulder injury that forced him out of last week's game. He was seen on the side line in plain clothes and had no chance of playing this week. The Vikings plan to hold him out again next week and bring him back in time for the play offs. The rushing attack struggled with both Cook and Mattison out this week.

2019 Week 15 vs LAC (9 / 27 / 0 rush, 3 / 3 / 16 / 0 rec)

The Vikings had a firm hold of this game before Cook went down, but an injury to their star running back would spell disaster as they make their final play off push. The severity of his shoulder injury is unknown at this time and we will have to wait until later in the week to see if he plays on Monday. Cook had rushed the ball 9 times and averaged just 3 yards per carry before exiting the game. His longest run went for 8 yards and he caught all 3 of his targets with the longest going for 11. It would have been Cook with 2 short yard touchdown carries instead of Boone had he not left with injury. We will have to watch the injury report this week to see if Cook suits up against the Packers on Monday Night Football.

2019 Week 14 vs DET (18 / 62 / 1 rush, 2 / 2 / 13 / 0 rec)

There was never any doubt in Cook's mind that he was going to play this week. He came out saying that he could have returned to the game against Seattle last Monday if they had called for it. Cook was given 18 carries and 2 targets this week in the offense. The team ran the ball 39 times and even got Mike Boone into the mix in the second half when they were up 20-0. Cook's longest run went for 9 yards and his longest catch went for 10. He averaged 3.4 yards per carry and had the all important 3-yard rushing touchdown just before half time. A 44-yard catch by Stefon Diggs set the Vikings up on the 3-yard line and Cook sprinted off the right end for the touchdown and a 17-0 lead. The Vikings gave him plenty of work this week and then pulled back when they had the game firmly in hand. Look for more of this strategy down the stretch if they get out to a comfortable lead as they try and rest their star running back for the playoffs. However, with 3 tough matchups to close the season it may be tough to rest him too much against the Chargers, Packers, and Bears.

2019 Week 13 vs SEA (9 / 29 / 1 rush, 4 / 3 / 35 / 0 rec)

It was not a great game for Cook despite finding the end zone in the first half. The breakout running back was largely bottled up by Seattle, even before his fumble and shoulder injury forced him from the game in the 3rd quarter. Cook was averaging just 3.2 yards per carry with his longest run going for 9 yards. He fumbled that 9-yard carry and was very lucky that a Vikings player was able to jump on it. He was not so lucky on his fumble in the 3rd quarter where he also injured his shoulder. Cook was down on the ground for several minutes and was clearly in a lot of pain. He went into the locker room briefly before coming back to the sideline still in full gear. He did not come into the game and Alexander Mattison took over from that point. Cook's lone bright play came on the first drive of the game. He took the ball 2 yards off the right end and walked into the end zone untouched after a 27-yard end around by Diggs. Cook ended his day leading the Vikings in rush yards but the team only combined for 78 yards on 14 carries. His status for next week is up in the air in a great matchup against Detroit.

2019 Week 11 vs DEN (11 / 26 / 1 rush, 6 / 5 / 31 / 0 rec)

It was not a great game for Cook and the Viking rushing attack. Cook averaged just 2.4 yards per carry on 11 carries and only just salvaged his day with a touchdown in the second half. It was a 3-yard plunge off the right end and capped off an 18 play 70-yard drive. The Vikings elected to go for 2 on the play and called Cook's number again. He tried to sweep it off the right end and was stopped short of the goal line as the attempt failed. Cook added 5 catches on 6 targets for another 31 yards. 21 of those yards came on a single screen play where he was able to weave through defenders and down the sideline for a big gain. The Broncos sold out to stop Cook and the run game this week and were content letting Cousins try and beat them. Cook deserves the rest heading into their Bye week and then has 2 great matchups against Seattle and Detroit in the following weeks.

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 could receive extension (Sun Jan 12, 09:40 AM) - The Minnesota Vikings are interested in beginning discussions with RB Dalvin Cook on a contract extension during the offseason.

Our View: The Vikings need to wrap up their superstar running back. A second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Cook had the first 1,000-yard season of his career. He finished 2019 with 1,135 rushing yards with 13 rushing touchdowns to go along with 53 catches for 519 yards. He made just $1 million during the 2019 season and will be entering the final year of his rookie contract.
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Vikings | Minnesota sees 2019 season end (Sat Jan 11, 07:31 PM) - Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins went 21-for-29 for 172 yards, one touchdown and one interception against the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round playoff game. RB Dalvin Cook rushed for 18 yards on nine carries and caught six passes for eight yards during the game. WR Stefon Diggs caught two passes for 57 yards and one touchdown on five targets. WR Adam Thielen caught five passes for 50 yards on seven targets. TE Irv Smith caught three passes for 39 yards on three targets, while TE Kyle Rudolph caught two passes for four yards on three targets.

Our View: It was a good run for the Vikings this season. They failed to make the palyoffs last year but made it to the Divisional Round this year. Next season, in the final season of Kirk Cousins contract, the Vikings are hoping to make the NFC Championship at least. We'll see if they can make that happen. This offseason, the secondary is a part of the team they'll need to improve to make that run.
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Vikings | Dalvin Cook in 49ers' sights (Sat Jan 11, 12:17 PM) - Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is the target of the San Francisco 49ers in Saturday's NFC divisional-round playoff game. 'He's one of the best in the league,' 49ers DT DeForest Buckner said of Cook. 'We've just got to do a really good job with shutting that down early.'

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Vikings | Dalvin Cook set for Divisional Round (Thu Jan 9, 05:59 PM) - Minnesota Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) practiced in full Thursday, Jan. 9, and was removed from the injury report for the team's Divisional Round game.

Our View: Cook helped the team run over the Saints in the Wild Card game. He'll be the centerpiece of what they do on offense against the 49ers on Saturday.
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Vikings | Minnesota's injury report for Week 19 (Thu Jan 9, 04:42 PM) - Minnesota Vikings CB Mackensie Alexander (knee) did not practice all week and has been ruled out for the team's NFC Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers. S Jayron Kearse (toe, knee) also did not practice all week and is listed as doubtful. WR Adam Thielen (ankle) did not practice Thursday, Jan. 9, and is listed as questionable. DT Linval Joseph (knee), WR Stefon Diggs (illness), CB Xavier Rhodes (ankle, shoulder), DE Stephen Weatherly (foot), OG Josh Kline (elbow), DT Shamar Stephen (knee), TE Tyler Conklin (knee) and RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) practiced in full Thursday and have been removed from the injury report. DE Ifeadi Odenigbo (hamstring) was not given a practice designation for a second straight day but also no longer appears on the injury report.

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