The wait is over, folks. Former Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has agreed to join the New York Jets and will improve an already talented backfield. It also further devalues Breece Hall as he’s returning from knee reconstruction and wasn’t expected to be 100 percent himself during the first half of the season.
Cook will play behind a surefire Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and should be a versatile asset in fantasy leagues. The well-rounded Florida State product is no stranger to injury, however, so gamers should consider that when factoring him into their draft plans.
The biggest question here is what kind of role will Cook and Hall have together when they’re both healthy. Hall was having a fine rookie season before the injury and will be a full year removed from the ACL tear come October 23. From a physical standpoint, the knee currently is structurally sound, but regaining confidence and spring in his step may take until the second half of the season.
Dalvin Cook's fantasy football outlook
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero report the deal to be a one-year contract worth up to $8.6 million — that would be No. 9 on the list of highest-paid RBs for the upcoming season. The Jets have no long-term vested interest in taking it easy on Cook, thus suggesting he may bear the brunt of the chores even after Hall is healthy. We already know that the latter is potentially special as far as modern backs go, and that alone could be incentive to let him rest far more than gamers want to accept right now. It’s food for thought, if nothing else.
Don’t be surprised if the veteran shoulders the bulk of the workload during the first half of 2023. Cook is an RB2 while Hall remains iffy, but then all bets are off once the two are simultaneously at full strength. A fair assessment is both are probably in the flex zone most weeks with Cook faring slightly better if the script calls for a pass-heavy day. There, as mentioned, is an outside shot that Cook is ridden into the dirt over the course of 2023. A cannibalizing effect is a serious concern that could hinder both of their fantasy outlooks in worst-case scenario.
Breece Hall fantasy football outlook
Unfortunately, drafting Hall requires a leap of faith many gamers may not be comfortable with at this time. The talent is unquestioned, but just how much will the knee hold him back in the early going? It’s reasonable to presume quite a bit, even perhaps to the point in which he’s not a fantasy factor on a weekly basis.
Once that knee is right, though, the situation really doesn’t get too much more appealing. Hall will have a few big games in the back half of the season, but knowing when to play him could be maddening. In some ways, pairing Hall and Cook makes plenty of sense, presuming you’re willing to play that game.
Every drafter gauges risk differently to some extent. Safety-minded owners probably can outright avoid Hall in 2023, and everyone less averse to risk may want to consider him in the high-end No. 3 conversation whose season should improve as the weeks wear on. There’s some advantage to Cook being 28 years old here. The Jets really have the luxury to ride the former Viking early and pivot to more reliance on the second-year Hall as the playoffs near.
Closing thoughts
While some of this feels repetitive and heavily speculative — because it is — one thing for certain is the short-lived preseason hype of Israel Abanikanda can be put to rest. The slimmest of odds Michael Carter shines is no longer a thing, too. Rodgers wasn’t acquired to hand it off all day and night, either. Can this offense realistically sustain two fantasy-relevant backs and a multilayered aerial game week in and week out?
Cook and Hall will be the show to watch Some weeks you may have to put up with frustrations, but the wisest approach is to go forward as if Cook is indeed the primary back and treat him as a risk-reward No. 2 in both prominent scoring designs. Hall has too much working against him for gamers to confidently trust he will deliver the goods, and that’s coming from someone who wants nothing more than to see him pick up right where he left off in fantasy.
