Cook to COVID list

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has been placed on the COVID list. That very likely knocks him out of Sunday's game vs. the Rams and means another start for RB Alexander Mattison, who just came off the COVID list on Wednesday. As we've seen both this season and last, Mattison is a high-end RB1 whenever Cook is out.

Vikings beat writer Chad Graff writes that RB Dalvin Cook might see more pass-game involvement in 2022. Cook “lined up in bunch wide receiver sets” at minicamp, though Graff admits it might just be some “tinkering” from a new staff. “I don’t want to just sit up here and tell y’all everything,” Cook said. “We’ve got Green Bay Week 1, so we’re gonna wait and see.” The veteran RB saw ~3.8 targets per game last season. Current projections have him at 41 catches (in 14 games).

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has been activated from the COVID list. He'll be back for Sunday night's game vs. the Packers -- and should be back in fantasy lineups.

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer said Monday that he's "hopeful" to get RB Dalvin Cook back for Sunday night's game vs. the Packers. Cook is eligible to be activated from the COVID list on Saturday, so there won't be any surefire news on his Week 17 status until then. If Cook manages to play vs. Green Bay, he'd do so without a single practice rep this week. But we'd still expect to see him in a high-volume role.

Vikings RB Dalvin Cook (shoulder) is officially active for tonight's game vs. the Steelers. It's a much quicker return than expected after he dislocated and torn the labrum in his left shoulder 11 days ago. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Cook is expected to play with a harness on the injured shoulder tonight, which figures to impact his pass-catching ability. And he's still at risk of re-injury. But Schefter also said that Cook is expected to get his "regular workload." That makes him tough to bench in fantasy -- although he certainly comes with elevated risk.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports not only that Vikings RB Dalvin Cook will play tonight, but also that "expectations are that Cook maintains his regular workload." Cook will play with a harness on his injured shoulder. Schefter points out that Cook also wore one in the Wild Card win at New Orleans nearly 2 years ago, a game in which Cook racked up 31 touches for 130 yards and 2 TDs. There's bound to be some risk to Cook tonight, but it sounds like you need to play him in your Week 14 lineups. Alexander Mattison becomes no more than an RB3 -- albeit with some upside if something goes wrong with Cook or the workload simply shakes out differently.