Dalvin Cook Injury: 6 Fantasy Football Replacements For Vikings Rookie RB
Fantasy football owners and Minnesota Vikings fans received bad news Sunday when rookie running back Dalvin Cook suffered a non-contact knee injury and had to leave his team’s Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions.
The team reportedly fears a near-complete ACL tear for Cook, which likely would sideline him for the rest of the 2017 season. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to find out more information about the injury.
Here are the best options to replace Cook on your fantasy team if he’s out long term.
Latavius Murray, Minnesota Vikings
With Cook getting most of the carries in Minnesota through three games, Murray entered Week 4 with just 17 yards on seven carries. He ran for 21 yards on seven carries, in addition to two receptions for eight yards Sunday. Murray isn’t the same productive fantasy performer he was for the Oakland Raiders over the last few years, but he’s the most experienced and talented option the Vikings have on their current roster.
Jerick McKinnon, Minnesota Vikings
McKinnon is the other running back on the Vikings’ depth chart. He’s third on the depth chart and seldom has been used this season, but his situation is worth monitoring if Murray struggles to fill the void as the Vikings’ starting running back.
Wendell Smallwood, Philadelphia Eagles
Smallwood is a good pickup, particularly in PPR fantasy leagues. He ran for 34 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, in addition to four receptions for 45 yards in the Eagles’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Smallwood has shown an impressive ability to rack up yards in a variety of ways for Philly through four games.
Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers
The Packers lost starting running back Ty Montgomery to a chest injury Thursday night, and Jones received the majority of the workload in the backfield as a result. He ran for 49 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries against the Chicago Bears. Jones definitely is worth owning if he’s the starter. However, Montgomery still could play in Week 5.
Lamar Miller, Houston Texans
Miller finally broke out Sunday after a disappointing start to the campaign. He racked up 131 total yards and two touchdowns in Houston’s 57-14 win over the Tennessee Titans. Miller’s dual-threat ability makes him a great addition in PPR leagues. He probably isn’t on the waiver wire in your league, but trading for him might not be a bad idea at this point
Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
The rookie ran for 25 yards on five carries and caught 10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins in London. Kamara already has become a trusted target of Saints quarterback Drew Brees, making him a smart play in PPR leagues. Veteran running backs Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson haven’t played well to begin the season, so don’t be surprised if Kamara’s workload continues to rise going forward.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Rempel/USA TODAY Sports Images
