Could Dalvin Cook Be This Year’s Fantasy RB1?
Josh Frey
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While running back is not often a sought after position at the top of the actual NFL draft, it may be the most coveted in many fantasy drafts. Last season, there were three players that outclassed the rest of the competition in terms of fantasy points: Alvin Kamara, Dalvin Cook, and Derrick Henry. Kamara paced the trio with 377.8 points while Cook and Henry finished their campaigns with 337.8 and 333.1 points, respectively. The next closest RB was David Montgomery at 264.8 points—nearly 70 points behind the bronze medalist, Henry. The question is, can Dalvin Cook overtake Kamara for as top dog at the position?
Last Season
Obviously, many Vikings fans are hoping that Dalvin Cook can put up similar numbers to his 2020 campaign, especially if his offensive line has improved. What must be remembered is, despite Cook’s already impressive slash-line of 312/1557/16, it could have been even better.
Cook got hurt in the second half of the Seattle game, missed all of the Atlanta game, and then missed the Week 17 matchup with Detroit after the unexpected passing of his father. Detroit just so happened to give up the most rushing touchdowns in the entire league last year (27). Kamara on the other hand did not miss a game for the Saints. Should Cook remain healthy in 2021, the gap could be much smaller than it seems.
Looking Ahead to 2021
In 2021, the Vikings certainly have the edge over the Saints in terms of receiver talent, especially with Michael Thomas out for the time being. Because of this, Sean Payton may be continuing to run the creative sets to get Kamara touches off screen passes. Kamara runs behind blockers very well, and this has caused him to excel out of the backfield during his first four NFL seasons.
The Saints also have to go up against a group of very stout defenses this year, especially against the run. They have seven matchups against teams that ranked inside the top-11 in allowed yards per attempt last year. This includes two matchups with the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings have to play just five such games.
Kamara will also have to play four of his hardest games of the year over a five-week stretch. This could be a blessing or a curse. If he can get through that stretch relatively productive, it could send him sailing towards video game numbers over the final 10 games of the year. On the other hand, if he gets beaten up during these games, it could leave him limited for the last two months.
Based on the Kirk Cousins edition of this series, we know the Vikings have their own difficult stretch of games in the second half of the year. Weeks 9-14 bring four road games for the Vikes, all of them against teams looking for playoff berths this year.
If we want to throw Henry into the mix, someone who is most reliant on rushing attempts, the Titans open up the year with six opponents that ranked in the top FIVE in allowed yards per attempt within their first 10 weeks. Henry’s slow starts have been well chronicled throughout his career, but if he wants to keep pace in this race, that cannot happen.
Closing Thoughts
Ultimately, this race for RB1 may just become a war of attrition like it often does. Henry made it a three-man race last year by closing the season with three 30+ point performances in the final six weeks. That’s good and dandy, but most fantasy leagues are wrapped up by week 16. Last season’s 35-point performance last season means absolutely nothing to most fantasy leagues. With that, I would again put Henry third on this list, with Kamara and Cook ahead of him. Cook has an excellent shot at RB1 this year, so if you’re a Vikings fan, why not take a shot on him?