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Fantasy football managers are finalizing their lineups as they gear up for the playoff push starting in Week 14. Some player injury issues will make a significant impact on their lineup decisions, though.
Let's tackle the big injury of a key offensive weapon for the Minnesota Vikings and the fantasy impact for the Week 14 Thursday Night Football matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Is Dalvin Cook playing Thursday night? Should I start Dalvin Cook, or should I start Alexander Mattison? Below, we take a quick look at the updated injury status for Cook and attempt to answer these questions.
Is Dalvin Cook Playing In Week 14 Against the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Dalvin Cook was initially listed as questionable for the Thursday Night matchup against the Steelers after being limited in practice this week. After missing Week 13 with a shoulder injury, there was optimism early on Thursday that he would play in Week 14 and return sooner than originally expected:
It was then reported that he was planning to play barring any medical issues or setbacks during pregame warmups:
It is now being reported the Cook will indeed play tonight, and is expected to have a regular workload:
He no longer need to be viewed as a game-time decision. But fantasy managers should stay tuned for continued updates on Cook until the official active/inactive report comes out on Thursday around 6:50 p.m. ET, just in case there is a setback.
Cook has the reputation of an injury-prone running back. He has missed time in all five seasons due to injury. However, Cook has still finished as a top-six running back the past two seasons despite losing two games to injury in each season.
He is a highly gifted player in a superb offense and has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in his past two seasons. If Cooks does suit up, he might be on a snap count, but he is still a must-start against a depleted Steelers defense. Fantasy managers will witness another top-10 running back performance on Thursday.
Should I Start Alexander Mattison in Week 14 Against the Steelers?
While most fantasy managers don't follow the process of handcuffing their stud running back, Alexander Mattison is the exception. The emergence of Mattison as an RB1 in each of his starts in Cook's absence provides ammunition that the drop-off from Cook to Mattison is not significant.
Mattison has scored in his last two games and should be in your fantasy lineup if Cook is indeed out for this week's matchup. The Vikings remain one of the league's most run-heavy teams, and the Steelers' defense is giving up the seventh-most points to running backs this season, making Mattison a no-brainer start this week if Cook is out.
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