Editor’s Note: As our coverage of the 2017 NFL Draft and its impact on fantasy football continues, we bring you our 2017 Rookie SWOT series. These articles will feature video highlights, combine reviews, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, short-term expectations, long-term expectations and rookie draft advice for over 30 of the best dynasty league prospects from this year’s draft. We’ll mix them in with team-by-team draft reviews because, you know, that’s kind of what we live for.
Make sure you’re ready for your dynasty league rookie draft by staying up on all these articles, checking out our rookie draft guide, rookie rankings, rookie draft cheat sheet and post-draft mocks. There are simply no better resources out there for dynasty fantasy football enthusiasts.
Name: Dalvin Cook
Born: August 10, 1995
Position: Running Back
Pro Team: Minnesota Vikings
College Team: Florida State University
Draft Status: Round 2, 41st overall
Combine Review
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 210
- Hand Size: 9.25”
- 40 Time: 4.49
- Bench Press: 22 reps
- Vertical Jump: 30.5”
- Broad Jump: 116”
- Short Shuttle: 4.53
- 3 Cone Drill: 7.27
Video Clip
Strengths
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- Elusive
- Explosive
- Fantastic vision. Perhaps the best in the class
- Excellent creator who doesn’t need the play to be well-blocked to pile up yardage
- Highly skilled, versatile pass-catcher ready to catch 50+ balls out of the gate
- Does not gear down to make cuts in the open field
- Very difficult to tackle one-on-one
- Threat to score on every single touch
Weaknesses
- Fumbles way too much
- Durability concerns
- Unrefined, albeit willing, pass blocker
- Poor combine, I guess
Opportunities
The Vikings have already stated their backfield is an open competition. Cook should have no problem dusting the overrated Jerick McKinnon and facing off against the freshly signed Latavius Murray. Speaking of overrated, Murray has proven himself nothing more than a hulking change of pace type who doesn’t have the consistency to be an NFL starter. He is also nursing an ankle after off-season surgery, which doesn’t bode well for his showdown with Cook come training camp. If Cook doesn’t disappoint with the pads on, a place he excels, the former Seminole should open the season as the unquestioned three down starter.
Threats
If Murray, the bigger back of the two, is more able to grind out yards behind the poor Minnesota offensive line, it could cause issues for Cook’s market share. The rookie was amazing at creating behind a similarly porous line in Tallahassee, but the ACC is not the NFL.
Cook could find himself benched if his fumbling issue rears its ugly head early on. Injuries are another concern, as Cook has battled numerous soft tissue ailments. An early injury and a string of good games from Murray would dampen his outlook in the short-term.
Short-term Expectations
Barring anything unexpected, Cook should open the season as the primary ball carrier in Minnesota. With a bad offensive line and occasionally unproductive pass game, it is hard to expect Cook to roll up too spectacular of a season, but 225-250 touches and a top-12 PPR finish at his position isn’t at all out of the question.
Long-term Expectations
Nobody who does rankings at DLF is higher on Cook than I am (he is my RB9). If he can get past the fumbling issues and stay healthy his rookie season, there is legitimate top-five upside going into 2018. As bullish as I am on Cook, I will admit the floor isn’t as high as I’d like for reasons already mentioned.
Even harder for me to admit, I am open, even if the door is barely cracked, to the possibility his poor combine showing is evidence Cook doesn’t have the athleticism to deal with NFL defenders. With all that said, he is comfortably in my top ten with the expectation he is at least a very good NFL player for the foreseeable future.
NFL Player Comparison
I see a lot of Jamaal Charles. He isn’t quite as fast or explosive on paper as Charles, but Cook has that same slashing play style with an incredibly high play speed and the ability to create something from nothing.
Rookie Draft Advice
I know this is going to cause consternation for some of y’all, but Cook is currently my 1.03 behind only Corey Davis and Joe Mixon. The 1.02-1.05 is incredibly close, with Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey lagging only a short distance behind due to questionable scheme fits. Of the four backs, it comes down to picking your own flavor. My preference is two scoops of Cook and some crushed pistachios for a bit crunch.
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Based on how things are looking, Cook should land to me at 1.05. Who would you rather have…Cook or Derrick Henry?
Cook. Has a chance to be the guy this year and as a prospect, cook > henry. Slightly.
I think Latavius is at least the goal line/short yardage back- they paid him, he will have a role. Jerick will see snaps in that 3rd down, COP role. The preseason should give us some idea on how this timeshare gets split up, but if I draft Cook (and expect year 1 production), I’d be banking that Murray’s foot issue will linger. Also, don’t know if I agree that Cook is/was a better prospect…Henry killed the combine and Cook disappointed there. Cook might be a better receiving back but I’d rather own Henry
I got him at 1.04 and was pretty happy. I expected to have to split hairs between him and Mixon. But surprisingly our draft went Fournette-McCaffrey-Mixon with Davis still there for me. It gave me pause and suddenly I had a completely different debate to deal with in my head. But in the end I went with my (desperate) need of a RB.
In a 1.5 yards per 10 rushing, .5 ppr should be trying to move up from 1.2 to 1.1 to get Fornette? Or should I sit tight and take cook or mixon (personally higher on cook). My teams stacked with a glaring hole at RB, I have howard and then my next best is Asiata lol
50 year Vikings fan and I still wouldn’t touch Cook in the top 4.
I traded the #5 and Wentz to move up to #4 just to make sure I wasn’t looking at Cook.. I also have the #3 via trade. Rebuild team is at #1-2 and going Lenny and Davis.. I’ll be drafting Mixon and McCaffrey at #3-4 and this is in a standard league…
30yr Viking fan checking in. I’ve got the 1.03 in .5ppr league and am happy to hear I will be able to get Cook there. Homerism aside, I believe he is a great fit for the scheme they want to run on Offense. Switching to Zone blocking and bringing in talent on the line that specializes in that makes sense with Cook’s skills as well.
I’m just curious; what made you drop Cook below CMC and Mixon in standard league?
There’s a long list of reasons. I was down on Cook when he was ranked #1 on most sites. Fumbles are a major concern as is multiple shoulder injurys but just as important he tested in the bottom 9% of RB’s at the combine.. When has a elite RB tested so poorly? I can’t recall ever.
Don’t trust him off the field as he is said to still be hanging with some bad influences.. Unfortunately Vikings overpaid for below average Tackles this year and still see them as a bottom tier OL although I do like the center they drafted out of Ohio St in the 3rd RD. Add in stack boxes and I just don’t really want anything to do with Cook .
All I can say is trust me as a Viking homer and don’t make the same mistake are beloved Vikings did and draft Cook over Mixon .. Simply put they are not in the same tier of RB ..
I am really happy with taking Davis 1.1 and getting Cook at 1.5. Thought I was gonna have to choose between Mccaf and Williams and I’m not as high in Mccaf as some
Cook will be great.
I simply do not understand how so many people are willing to just brush off an historically bad combine for the guy who was the consensus 1.01 before it, AND the fact that 31 NFL teams didn’t feel he was worth an early pick. What really scares me the most about Cook, more than the bad O-line (and it will be bad, better than last year, but still bad), more than the off-field stuff that we will never really get the full story on, is the combine. Not that no one has ever had a successful NFL career after a bad combine, but watch *how* Cook won in college. He won with a blend of speed and lateral agility that the combine shows us he *doesn’t actually have*. He looked great going against college defenses, most of whom had 0-2 guys who will ever make an NFL roster, but he tested out as an average athlete for the NFL, and average athletes don’t beat NFL defenses on speed and quickness. He is going to have to completely redefine his game to have success at the next level, and I don’t trust anyone to do that.
