Fantasy Owners Take Note: Dalvin Cook Intends To Play Through Pain

Vikings running back and highly-coveted fantasy player Dalvin Cook battled through a sore ankle in Week Four after sitting out the previous game entirely. According to Cook, though, he’s well on his way to feeling and playing his best again soon.

“I don’t feel like I’m getting worse,” Cook said. “I don’t feel like I’m headed in the wrong direction. I feel like I’m headed in the right direction to get myself back to where I need to be at. You have those days, but we just played a game. Just trying to work myself back to being 100% so I can help us win games.”

When Cook is healthy, he is as dangerous as anyone in the game, already racking up over 5,200 total yards and 37 touchdowns in his four-plus years in the league. Unfortunately (and impressive for his statistics), he has only played in 46 games since entering the league in 2017. In other words, Cook has missed nearly one third of his possible games due to injury in his short but storied career.

The Vikings, of course, sat him out of practice this week.

Hopefully for fantasy owners, the rest will get Cook back to early-season form. In Game One of the season, Cook rushed for two touchdowns, and in Game Two, he picked up 148 yards on the ground.

The Vikings face the reeling 0-4 Lions this Sunday in Minnesota, a game in which Cook should be able to cook offensively, if healthy. The Vikes are fat (-9.5) point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, but be sure to take a look at player props when they get released. Detroit currently sits 24th in rushing yards allowed, including 188 yards given up last week to a mediocre Chicago Bears squad. Don’t be surprised to see Minnesota run it down their throat all day to open up the passing game for Kirk Cousins, who has played well this season, too. Cook should have a chance to put up big numbers if the ankle feels strong.

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