Dalvin Cook to Dallas: Fantasy Football Impact | What It Means for Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and Dallas Playmakers

NFL teams cut down their rosters to 53 players on Tuesday, but it’s a signing that has our attention this morning.

Let’s discuss what Dalvin Cook signing with the Dallas Cowboys means from a fantasy football perspective, for both Cook and other members of the Cowboys’ offense.

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Cook Signs in Dallas

Cook worked out for Dallas on Tuesday before the team officially signed him on Wednesday.

Cook is a four-time Pro Bowler and has played for three teams over his seven-year NFL career.

He was most effective in Minnesota, where he spent the first six years of his career. He topped 1,000 rushing yards in four seasons (2019-22), scoring all 47 of his career touchdowns in those seasons. 

Cook had at least 224 receiving yards in seasons in which he topped 10 games played for the Vikings. He had all five of his receiving touchdowns in Minnesota too.

Cook was a member of the Jets and Ravens in 2023. He played in 15 games (one start) for New York, and did not suit up in the regular season for Baltimore. 

He only got 67 rushing attempts in the 15 games with New York, gaining 214 yards and not scoring. He caught 15 of his 20 targets for 78 yards and no scores.

Cook looked like an intriguing fantasy option as the backup to Breece Hall, who was coming off a big-time injury, but Cook barely made an impact.

Cook’s Fantasy Outlook in Dallas

The Cowboys had one of the better offenses in the league in 2023, but it was because of their passing game, not the running game.

Dallas parted with Tony Pollard and signed Ezekiel Elliott back during the offseason. Rico Dowdle was the top backup, while Deuce Vaughn also made the initial 53-man roster.

Elliott is on the backside of his career, and probably cannot handle a full starter’s workload any more, so he was expected to split the work with Dowdle. If we’re being completely honest, that’s a pretty uninspiring 1-2 backfield punch for a team that is trying to compete for big things.

Cook would have been on a team already if he still was a great/good running back, but he at least gives Dallas another option.

One thing to note with Cook’s signing is that he’s joining the team’s practice squad, not the active roster.

Cook is a big name from his time in Minnesota, but this looks more like a depth move than one that’s going to impact the actual team on the field. Cook might get some NFL action in this season, but unless Elliott and Dowdle are injured, I don’t anticipate it being a big role.

That makes Cook a fantasy option in really deep leagues, but that’s it right now. He’s a guy to stash in case injuries hit the Cowboys and he gets elevated into a starting role for several weeks. Even with a starter’s workload though, I don’t anticipate Cook being a startable fantasy option at any point this season, even if he’s taking on a workhorse role. 

Other Cowboys’ Fantasy Outlooks

This really won’t affect anything for the usual offensive playmakers (Dak Prescott, Jake Ferguson or CeeDee Lamb and any of the receivers). The only guys it could affect are Elliott, Dowdle and Vaughn.

Really, it just puts pressure on those three to be at least average options for the team’s offense. If Elliott struggles, he could have Dowdle replace him, and maybe Cook gets elevated to serve as the backup. Maybe Dowdle struggles in his backup role, and Cook then gets elevated to fill that role. 

Vaughn probably wasn’t going to be utilized a bunch anyways, but the Cook signing probably takes away any chance he has to be a fantasy asset at some point this season.

This backfield is still not very appealing, and the only reasons it’s really worth mentioning is because of the names in it, the team they play for and the offense they are on. I expect a committee approach to get the team through the season, with the offense relying heavily on the passing game again.

Don’t let the Cook signing dissuade you from drafting Prescott, Lamb or Ferguson. Maybe bump Elliott, Dowdle and Vaughn down half a round or so. 

This situation could change as the season progresses, and FantasySP will cover it if anything major happens, so check back for those stories.