Green Bay Packers: Top 10 fantasy rookie rankings in NFC North

1. Dalvin Cook, RB, Vikings

From a talent standpoint, the new centerpiece of Minnesota’s backfield may be the most complete and gifted running back among this year’s crop of rookies.

What Cook has going for him above anything else are his impeccable instincts to read his blocks and anticipate defenses. That point is further driven home by the fact that the second round pick led the nation in missed tackles last season with 99, according to Pro Football Focus.

And like most great game breakers, Cook seems to always keep an extra gear in reserve once he busts into the second and third levels of the defense (see 10 career touchdowns of 50 yards plus).

As a pass catcher, the first-team All-America selection tucks away just about anything thrown in his direction and has 79 receptions in his three years in Tallahassee to show for his efforts.

While one can go on for days about Cook’s attributes, he isn’t built like Leonard Fournette or Samaje Perine and won’t withstand heavy doses of punishment administered by stacked defenses.

Along with suffering an assortment of shoulder  injuries, the former 5-star recruit has a recurring ball-security woes with 12 fumbles during his time in the red and gold.

Fantasy owners shouldn’t be scared off by the prospect of the Vikings splitting touches among Cook, Latavius Murray and Jerrick McKinnon since it won’t be long before the former Seminole rises to the role of primary back.

Draft Cook as a low-end RB2 and watch him ascend to RB1 status if he can avoid the injuries, fumbles and off-field dilemmas that have plagued his offseason.