Should I start Dalvin Cook in Week 1? Jets RB's fantasy projection explored

Dalvin Cook and the New York Jets are taking on the Buffalo Bills during Monday Night Football to cap off Week 1. If you're in a tight fantasy matchup, it's your only shot to pull off that comeback and secure a key win to start the season.

Should you rely on Dalvin Cook to do so?

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Dalvin Cook Fantasy Projections

Per ESPN, Dalvin Cook is expected to score about 12 points tonight. Against a decent rushing defense, that's pretty good. They expect the running back to have around 60 yards on the ground and through the air, leading to a 12-point output.

For a backup running back, that's a very nice game. Most RB2s won't get that many touches, but Cook is in a unique position. Not only is he a former Pro Bowler who was RB11 in fantasy last year, but he's also the backup to someone recovering from an ACL injury.

Dalvin Cook's fantasy outlook

Breece Hall is expected to play and is confident in his knee and ready, but he will likely have a limited touch count. He will not be thrust in as the workhorse immediately, which improves Cook's value.

Week 1 is the best time to have a running back in that situation. It's likely that the gameplan will involve him as much if not a little more than Hall. That won't be the trend for long, but it very well could be for Aaron Rodgers and company tonight.

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Is Dalvin Cook a good fantasy pick?

At a certain point in fantasy football drafts, almost every player becomes a value pick. That's true of backup running backs, too. A lot of teams feature a two RB committee, though one is the clear starter.

Think Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon on the Green Bay Packers, or Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott on the New England Patriots. At some point, the backups become valuable players to have.

This is especially true for Cook, who will arguably see more usage than other backup running backs- especially in the first few games. Ideally, you don't want to be starting a backup in your fantasy lineup, but this week is a safe time to do so.

Also read: Is Mark Andrews a good pick?

Chances are, you've already drafted and landed Cook. While having him in the starting lineup every week is less than ideal, that ship has sailed. If you're looking at the Monday night matchup and needing Cook to do well, though, there's a strong possibility that he does.

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Should I start Dalvin Cook in Week 1?

Dalvin Cook is a dangerous player in fantasy. He has the talent and pedigree of an early-round back, but he's not expected to be used that way. He is a good player who just happens to come in second on the depth chart. That's generally not a great thing for running backs.

However, with Hall recovering and the aforementioned talent and pedigree that Cook comes with, this is an unprecedented situation. The Jets can't afford to lose Hall again, so they'll likely be cautious with him for a while.

That improves Cook's fantasy outlook in the early going. There's a possibility that Hall does well and his knee responds well tonight, and he returns to being the workhorse in Week 2.

If there was ever a week to start Dalvin Cook, though, it's this week. Furthermore, if you're at this stage and wondering if you should start Cook, the options are probably slim.

Dalvin Cook vs. James Cook

Michael Carter, the Jets' RB3, is not a viable option over Cook. James Cook, Dalvin's brother on the Bills, could be an alternative if you happened to draft both. If you did, it might be best to go with James as he's the RB1, but Dalvin might have more upside.

Our analysis, in the image above via our trade analyzer, agrees with that assessment.

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