Dalvin Cook Released From the Minnesota Vikings
The news has finally been made official. The Minnesota Vikings have gone ahead and released Dalvin Cook from the team. It was a long-talked move as the Minnesota Vikings had been looking for a trade partner for most of the offseason but couldn’t find any buyers. Cook was expected to make another $11 million and cost the Vikings $14 million against the cap for the 2023 season. Dalvin Cook’s release from the team also impacts players currently on the roster as their fantasy value should take an expected jump ahead of this season.
The #Vikings have released RB Dalvin Cook.
📰: https://t.co/NISPt4x5eD pic.twitter.com/cG7xznJ7w7
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) June 9, 2023
But this move by the Vikings shouldn’t signal the end for Dalvin Cook as both a rusher and a fantasy asset for this coming season. Cook has plenty left in the tank as a running back. Cook was after all a four-time pro bowler, averaging 4+ rushing yards per attempt in every season he’s played a down in football throughout his career, and has rushed for over a thousand yards in each of his last four seasons. He’s been pretty solid for fantasy managers too.
Over the last three seasons, Cook has finished no lower than the RB16 for fantasy. He’s also averaged 15+ fantasy points in two of the last three seasons. He now just needs to find a good landing spot. One that could either put him in the lead role or an addition to a tandem backfield allowing him to be a more effective runner while able to share the load with another capable back.
So Long To ‘Sota
Dalvin Cook’s departure leaves a gaping hole in the running back position for the Vikings. Over the last four seasons, Cook has averaged 268 rushing attempts over that span and an additional 55 target average as well. Now someone else is going to have to step into the three-down role that was once occupied by the former pro-bowler. Enter Alexander Mattison. Mattison, the third-round pick out of the 2019 NFL Draft, has largely played second-fiddle to Dalvin Cook over the last four years. With Cook leaving behind so much work, the Vikings are expecting Mattison to take over the reins as the Vikings new lead back heading into 2023.
Cook leaves behind a 72% snap share for the Minnesota Vikings to fill heading into the new season and Alexander Mattison, due to no fault of his own, will enter into a new season expected to step into the vacuum that Cook has left behind. While the sample size for Mattison isn’t great, there is something that fantasy managers should be able to hang their hats on. During the 2021 season, Mattison had three games where he saw north of 15 carries throughout the game. In those three games, Mattison averaged 4.3 (vs. SEA), 4.5 (vs. DET), and 4.1 (vs. DET again) yards per attempt and saw 20+ carries. For fantasy, that kind of production in those games netted Mattison with 23.1, 26.3, and 21.4 fantasy point outings.
Despite the small sample size, Mattison when given enough work can make an impact as a rusher. Not only that, Mattison’s pass-catching ability is solid too. In those same games, Mattison went 6/56, 7/40/1, and 3/34 as a receiver. Mattison saw 18 targets across those three games and in two of those games he had a 100% catch rate. Mattison saw 39 targets in 2021, making 32 receptions for an 82% catch rate and averaging an 83% catch rate in his career.
Mattison is currently sitting at the RB30 in terms of ADP so his stock isn’t sliding up as of yet but I think the closer we get to the redraft season, his stock will take a step up. But if not, it’s a perfect opportunity to lay claim to a three-down running back later on in your fantasy drafts. Another name you might want to keep tabs on too is backup running back Ty Chandler. Chandler is a big back in his own right at 5’11, 204 lbs out of North Carolina. He’s not just big though as the fifth-round selection from the 2022 draft sports a 40 time of 4.38. An explosive back that could see added work behind Alexander Mattison and should the frontman not be too careful could have an opportunity to replace him in the lead role at an even cheaper price.
Where’s Dalvin “Cooking” In 2023?
That’s the next big question for fantasy managers. Cook has been linked to other teams like the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills. At Oddshark.com, they’ve already placed odds on potential landing spots for the now free-agent running back.
Dalvin Cook’s Next Team Odds
- Dolphins +300
- Bills +300
- Jets +500
- Cowboys +600
- Broncos +700
- Eagles +800
- Patriots +900
- Rams +1000
- Cardinals +1100
- Ravens +1500
Cook himself has also jumped in with his spoon to stir the pot on social media, posting a picture of him at the Miami Dolphins game.
Does @dalvincook know something he’s not telling??? 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/S2ZPP65s1y
— The Fantasy’s Phinest Podcast (@FantasysPhinest) June 8, 2023
I’ll be honest, I don’t want Cook to go to the Dolphins or the Bills. Not because they wouldn’t be good fits but because they would. The problem is it puts a ceiling on the young backs already there in Devon Achane and James Cook. Achane was drafted out of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Dolphins and could have a real chance (at least to me) to take over the Dolphins’ backfield. On the other hand, James Cook has been talked up by the Bills front office for a potential increase in his role this season and with Devin Singletary in Houston now, it’s a perfect storm for Cook to take over.
But back to Dalvin Cook. Any of those locations would be great spots for him in 2023. The Bills would make Dalvin Cook their three-down back and likely sprinkle in James Cook as a change-of-pace guy. Cook (Dalvin) could take over the near 65% snap share left by Singeltary’s departure. Cook in concert with Josh Allen would be a great rushing combo for the Bills’ offense and provide Allen with a solid pass-catching back to take the pressure off of Allen to always have to pull the big play. The Bills had a top-10 rushing attack in 2022, with Devin Singletary and Josh Allen being the top two rushers for the team. Singletary finished with 819 yards on the ground with a 4.5 y.a average while Josh Allen was second on the team in rushing with 762 rushing yards. Allen also scored seven touchdowns on the ground and Singletary added another five scores too.
Miami would also be a great landing spot. All that speed already there with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, with Dalvin Cook’s big-play ability would be nice for Tua. The running back room is a bit more vulnerable too. Both Raheem Moster and Jeff Wilson have missed time throughout their careers and Mostert is getting a bit “long in the tooth” for a running back. The addition of Cook would solve all of their immediate problems but it would shelf Devon Achane for a season or two. The Dolphins rushing attack ranked 25th in rushing yards as a unit in 2022, averaging just 99 yards per game on the ground. They would need a pickup like Dalvin Cook to get the ball rolling on the ground and take some heat off of Tua, especially after his concussion scare last year.
All in all, Dalvin Cook still has some juice left in his game. The landing spot will impact what his fantasy value is for the 2023 season and how much will be determined afterward. For example, should the Cowboys be one of those landing spots, Cook’s fantasy value might take a small hit. He’d be in a tandem backfield with new leading man Tony Pollard. But what the Cowboys want to do with the run game this season would still benefit him. Both could see a near split in the backfield which could actually be more of a good thing. We’ve already seen Pollard be more efficient with his carries last season splitting work with Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard averaged 5.2 yards per attempt sharing the workload. Cook averaged 15.5 carries in 2022 and averaged just over three targets per game. Pollard saw 12 carries per game with 3.44 targets per game last season. Either way, the tandem could really work for fantasy managers. There was only a 1.6-point difference between the two backs for fantasy last season too.
The anticipation will continue to build as we all wait to see where Dalvin Cook plays in 2023.
