How to handle the Dalvin Cook injury in fantasy championship week

Fate would have it that Dalvin Cook is banged up heading into fantasy championship weekend. Here is how to handle this injury to win you the championship.

There is a great chance that Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings has been a big reason you were able to reach the fantasy football playoffs this season. He’s been a great player all year, but the guy has two bum shoulders heading into Monday Night Football‘s home game vs. the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. So how do we go about handling this injury in championship week?

The Fantasy Footballers, fortunately, have you covered. Both Andy Holloway and Jason Moore know exactly what to do. If Cook is healthy enough to play and you can afford to wait until Monday night to play him, then you play him. If you can’t wait that long, go with a guy playing on either Sunday or even Saturday this week.

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Should you want to play a Vikings’ running back even if Cook can’t play, you should look at picking up Alexander Mattison as his handcuff. However, last week vs. the Los Angeles Chargers saw Mike Boone come in and score two touchdowns out of nowhere. So he’s a name to keep an eye on, depending on how the Vikings’ running back depth chart looks entering Monday night.

Even if Cook can’t go, the reason you might want to go with a Vikings running back in Week 16 is that Minnesota has to win its next two games to help its cause come playoff time. A win over Green Bay and vs. the Chicago Bears will be huge in deciding who wins the NFC North and if the division gets two teams into the postseason.

That being said, having this game on Monday night makes it all the more difficult to plan around. If you are in dire straits and need a fantasy running back at the last minute, perhaps Packers running back Jamaal Williams is available in your league? He might be worth picking up if you are in a do-or-die scenario come Monday night.

Overall, you should look to move Cook or whoever you want to start at the running back spot to either RB2 or the flex. Give yourself the option to have lineup flexibility. While there aren’t any Thursday night games going forward, keep in mind that six teams play on Saturday this week. Make sure you don’t accidentally leave a guy or two you might need chilling on your bench.