Dalvin Cook – 2021 #5 Dynasty Running Back
#33 Dalvin Cook, MIN
bio:
Dalvin Cook is IDPE’s #5 dynasty RB in 2021. Drafted by Minnesota in the 2nd round (#41 overall) out of Florida State in the 2017 draft. He was a two-time 1st-team All-American.
attributes:
A 5th-year workhorse running back, he is a strong receiver and creates big plays in the run game. He was awarded the #5 Elusiveness Rating for RB in 2020, per PFF.com.
He has an average BMI. He is not very athletic, but he has good long speed. Cook has a high College Prospect Score (CPS).
| Age* | Height | Weight | 40 | Vertical | Broad | CPS |
| 26.1 | 5’10” | 210 | 4.49 | 30.5″ | 9’8″ | 6.8 |
player grades:
Cook graded out as the #3 running back out of 70 qualified players in 2020, per PFF.com. He has improved every year.
| Year | Overall | Rushing | Receiving |
| 2017 | 69.9 | 76.6 | 36.6 |
| 2018 | 72.6 | 70.4 | 67.7 |
| 2019 | 81.3 | 83.5 | 66.4 |
| 2020 | 89.0 | 90.2 | 62.1 |
injury:
He missed 5 games in 2018 due to a hamstring strain, 2 games in 2019 due to a shoulder sprain, and 1 game in 2020 due to a groin strain. He also missed 12 games in 2017 due to an ACL tear.
stats:
Cook had 312 rush attempts (#2), 1557 rushing yards (#2), and 16 rushing touchdowns (#2) in 2020. He also had a good year as a receiver, though he took a step back from 2019.
He has averaged almost 1800 yards (rushing and receiving) over the last two years. Therefore, he has an elite floor in fantasy. He also averaged 49 receptions and 16 total touchdowns over the same period. Therefore, he has an elite ceiling in fantasy.
| Year | Rush | RuYd | RuTD | Rec | ReYd | ReTD | TFP* | Games | FP/G** | A4GM*** |
| 2018 | 133 | 615 | 2 | 40 | 305 | 2 | 136 | 11 | 12.4 | 198 |
| 2019 | 250 | 1135 | 13 | 53 | 519 | 0 | 270 | 14 | 19.3 | 308 |
| 2020 | 312 | 1557 | 16 | 44 | 361 | 1 | 316 | 14 | 22.6 | 361 |
**FP/G is Fantasy Points per Game
***A4GM is Adjusted for Games Missed
Note: Fantasy Points based on 0.5 Points per Reception, 0.1 Points per Yard
strength of schedule:
Minnesota has the 13th most difficult schedule for RB in 2021, per PFF. The bye week is Week 7, and the most difficult matchups are Weeks 14 and 16, which is playoff time in fantasy. Baltimore RBs currently look like a solid option if you want to stream based on RB matchup those weeks.
contract:
Cook signed a five-year, $63 mil contract extension with Minnesota in 2020. Minnesota has a potential out in 2023. His contract is structured in a way that it would be easy to cut him in 2024 or 2025 if his play begins to slip. If he plays out his contract, he will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026 (31 years old).
summary:
Dalvin Cook is an elite running back in the prime of his career. The main concern is his injury history. Minnesota will also have a new offensive coordinator in 2021, though Klint Kubiak, Gary Kubiak’s 33-year-old son, is not expected to make major changes to the system.
Expect Cook to compete for the overall #1 RB in 2021. He is starting to get up there in age for a running back (27 years old in Week 1, 2022). With the talented 2020 draft class likely to take a step forward this year, he may slip outside the Top 5 in dynasty next year if he doesn’t post elite numbers this year.
