News broke Saturday afternoon that the Dallas Cowboys intend to elevate veteran running back Dalvin Cook to their 53-man active roster, according to Tom Pelissero. He’ll see his first game action of 2024 on Sunday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Cowboys backfield, but for Rico Dowdle, has been a bit of a disappointment this year. And by that I mean: Ezekiel Elliott has lost every bit the step it looks. Even Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy are ready to admit it.
Word from Cowboys camp is that Dalvin Cook has done nothing but impress on the practice field.
Question is: does this warrant any sort of rush to the waiver wire, or savvy stash in your deep fantasy leagues?
Analysis
A brief reminder, in rundown form, of what Dalvin Cook’s full stat line looked in his last good year with the Minnesota Vikings (2022):
- Rushing yards: 1,173
- Rushing attempts: 264
- Rushing touchdowns: 8
- Yards per carry: 4.4
- Receptions: 39
- Receiving yards: 295
- Receiving touchdowns: 2
Of course, that’s all a distant memory, if not altogether forgotten. That 264 rushing attempts figure hung heavy on the minds of the front office in Minnesota. And so the Vikings moved on from Cook and didn’t extend his contract after 2022.
2023 saw Dalvin Cook head to the New York Jets, where he played 15 games, ran for 214 yards on 67 carries, and hit paydirt not once. His involvement (or lack there of) in the passing game included 15 receptions for 78 yards. Again—zero touchdowns.
The question is, really, whether or not you believe Cook’s performance on the Jets was more reflective of his ability to be a fantasy asset. I do not. I also do not believe he looks as good as Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy would have us believe. The answer is somewhere in the middle.
And, while that might not be of startable value, I think I’d like to invest in a possible ground-floor asset on a potential bounce-back Cowboys offense.
Bottom Line
What do you have to lose, here? I don’t think Rico Dowdle can be a feature back, and I don’t think the Cowboys believe so either. Cook is going to get touches, but he’s absolutely not worth a start this week. He’s worth a stash, but only if you have a free slot. Don’t be too hasty, now.
Who knows, though. He might end up being a fairly valuable handcuff come playoff-seed-deciding matchups in November.
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
