Matthew Berry Gives 2019 Fantasy Outlook on Dalvin Cooks' 24th Birthday

For a few short weeks in 2017, Dalvin Cook set the fantasy football world on fire. In the first three games of his career, Cook averaged 96.0 rushing yards per game while averaging 4.72 yards per carry. Unfortunately, an ACL tear prematurely ended his rookie season in Week 4.

While many fantasy owners had high hopes for Cook in 2018, he didn't exactly deliver. He didn't look nearly as explosive as he was in 2017, and Minnesota's leaky offensive line certainly didn't help matters. However, as fantasy expert Matthew Berry points out, there are some signs that could point to a big year in 2019.

Happy Birthday to Dalvin Cook, who turns 24 today. A healthy version of him can be scary … in 7 career games with 13+ touches, Cook is avg 19 points per game. Do that for an entire yr & we are talking over 300 points & a surefire RB1. Love the upside at his current ADP. pic.twitter.com/tLJL0tZ8S4
— Matthew Berry (@MatthewBerryTMR) August 10, 2019

Cook has played 15 games across two seasons in the NFL. He's received at least 13 touches in seven of those games, but he's been really effective in such contests, averaging 19 fantasy points per game. The only RB to average more than 18.8 fantasy points per game in 2018 was Todd Gurley, so if Cook's workload improves, he could have a monster season.

Additionally, the Vikings bolstered their offensive line this offseason, drafting Garrett Bradbury in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Last season, Vikings' RBs were stuffed on 21.5 percent of their rushing attempts, which was the eighth-worst mark in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders.

Happy Birthday, @DalvinCook!

Never stop celebrating ?? pic.twitter.com/UzgWj82zPl
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2019

If Cook's usage increases, and the Vikings' offensive line takes a step forward, Minnesota's third-year RB could have legitimate top-five fantasy upside this season.

Join FanDuel Sportsbook Today. New users get a risk-free bet up to $500. Join Now.

Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.