Dalvin Cook or Breece Hall: Who should I draft for my fantasy football team in 2023?

Dalvin Cook and Breece Hall will be the co-pilots of the New York Jets rushing attack for the 2023 NFL season. The Jets selected Hall in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, 35 spots behind top overall selection Travon Walker.

Meanwhile, Cook signed a one-year contract with New York’s AFC squad after playing his first six NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. While they will move the chains by establishing the Jets’ ground attack, one of them is the better fantasy football option. Let's find out.

---

Breece Hall offers a fantastic upside over Dalvin Cook

At the macro level, Dalvin Cook has better numbers than Breece Hall. The running back from Iowa State had 463 rushing yards and four touchdowns during his rookie season.

Meanwhile, Dalvin Cook had 1,173 yards and eight touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings last year. He had more rushing yards than Hall, Michael Carter and Zonovan Knight combined.

However, dissecting Cook’s numbers portrays a different story. He averaged only 4.4 yards per carry, while Hall had 5.8. Cook was also the worst running back regarding expected points average and rushes for zero or negative gains.

Wondering who to select with your next draft pick? Our 'Who do I Draft' tool provides the answers. Compare player projections, analyze player values, and make confident selections.

Conversely, Hall ranked sixth among running backs in half-points per reception per game and fourth in yards after contact per carry. Unfortunately, he's still recovering from the ACL injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Denver Broncos.

Jets fans can look forward to Breece Hall’s impending return when he was activated from the active/physically unable to perform list in mid-August. However, before he steps back onto the field, Cook will get most of the handoffs from quarterback Aaron Rodgers early in their schedule.

---

Dalvin Cook must perform against elite run-stopping defenses

Since the recovery from ACL injuries ranges from nine months to one year, Breece Hall may return to action after the Jets’ Week 7 bye. Therefore, Dalvin Cook will be their lead back for Weeks 1 to 6, but even a Pro Bowl running back like him might find it challenging to collect yards against opponents.

The Jets play in Week 1 against the Buffalo Bills, who ranked fifth in rushing yards allowed per game last year. Two weeks later, Cook face the New England Patriots, the sixth-best run-stopping defense in 2022.

The Jets then welcome the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4 and visit the Denver Broncos the next week. The Chiefs and the Broncos finished eighth and tenth in rushing yards allowed last season, respectively.

Finally, Cook doesn’t get a free pass in Weeks 2 and 6 because the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles are on schedule. The two teams finished fifth and eighth in points allowed per game last year, respectively.

Therefore, this gauntlet of tough opponents might significantly reduce Cook’s production. Draft him to your fantasy football team cautiously, or wait before Breece Hall becomes available mid-season.