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Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray as a Quality Duo

Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray are set to be one of the best running back duos in the NFL. Cook is the feature back, but Murray still adds value.
Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray

The Minnesota Vikings have one of the most interesting backfields in the entire National Football League. Dalvin Cook and Latavius Murray have the potential to be the best running back duo in the league if they stay healthy.

Cook’s Impact

Despite coming off a torn ACL, Dalvin Cook is expected to be the primary running back this season. Before going down in week four last season, Cook led the league with 353 rushing yards. He was on pace to win Offensive Rookie of the Year before a bad cut ended his campaign. 2018 provides Cook with a chance to bounce back and regain his form.

The second-year back has yet to play in the preseason, but he is determined to play in the regular season opener. Reports from camp are that Cook looks explosive and is cutting as if he was never injured. He will be an important playmaker in Minnesota’s offense in 2018. However, he understands that it is a team effort and he wants Latavius Murray to help carry the load. When asked about the situation, Cook said “I’m not joking. We are a one-two combo and we want to be the very best duo we can be.” While Cook will be the feature back and the focal point of the run game, Latavius Murray will get plenty of touches.

Dalvin Cook is arguably already one of the best in the league at making defenders miss. He is elusive in space and can cut quickly to turn upfield. There were moments last season where he looked unstoppable, and that will continue in 2018 with an even more explosive offense around him.

Murray’s Role

Latavius Murray is the perfect complement to Dalvin Cook. Cook is a smaller, quicker running back with big-play potential. Murray is a large bruiser who thrives in short yardage situations. Murray is 6’3” and 230 pounds but still has enough speed to burst through the line. He is the perfect back to have near the goal line and spell out Cook when he needs a breather. Murray has vowed to compete with Cook for the starting job, but his role in the backfield is well-understood. When Cook was absent last season, Murray filled that same role with Jerick McKinnon taking more of Cook’s spot. Cook will be the feature back, but Murray will have an important role in the offense. Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo values multiple running backs in his offense.

Murray will occasionally bust a long run and show his top-end speed.

DeFelippo’s Gameplan

Although DeFilippo was not the play-caller in Philadelphia, their offense used a ton of running backs. In 2017, the Philadelphia Eagles had six different running backs with at least one rushing attempt. The running backs also combined for 53 total receptions in that offense with Defilippo as the quarterbacks’ coach. As the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2015, Defilippo incorporated multiple running backs again. Only two guys shared the bulk of the carries, but they were split evenly in the offense. Isaiah Crowell received 204 total touches, while Duke Johnson had 165 touches. The two combined for 1, 853 total yards and seven touchdowns. That bodes very well for the duo of Cook and Murray for the 2018 season.

The Eagles used Corey Clement out of the backfield numerous times in the Super Bowl. DeFilippo loves implementing running backs in the offense, as seen below.

https://twitter.com/NoPhlyZone5/status/1022507189855023104

Kirk Cousins is also new to the offense, so it is important to note how he uses running backs in the passing game. Last season, Cousins completed 85 passes for 874 yards to his running backs. He spreads the wealth and there will be plenty of opportunities for everyone in the offense. For Minnesota, Latavius Murray caught 15 passes and Cook caught 11 in his limited action. The Vikings already have a banged-up offensive line, and the pressure will force Cousins to throw quickly. That being the case, Cook and Murray will have to be ready out of the backfield to catch the ball and make a play.

Fantasy Implications

Dalvin Cook is currently listed as one of the top running backs in fantasy football. He is expected to go in the early second round of drafts, despite the injury. His average draft position in NFL leagues is 16.67, placing him as the tenth highest running back.

Latavius Murray is the 50th running back with an average draft position of 146.83. Murray will be picked up late in drafts or even on the waiver wire, but his value is much higher than he is given credit. In the second half of 2017, Murray was one of the best fantasy running backs in the league. In his final eight games, he ran for 593 yards and seven touchdowns. If he played at that pace for an entire season, he would have finished second in the league in rushing and led the league in rushing touchdowns. Obviously, he will not have those numbers in a shared backfield, but he proved he brings value.

This season, the Vikings will play the Los Angeles Rams, Chicago Bears (twice), and San Francisco 49ers. Murray had some of his best performances last season against the Rams and Bears, including two of his three best games in terms of rushing yards. He ran for 95 yards and two scores against the Rams in week 11. In week 17, he finished with 111 yards and two more touchdowns. The 49ers matchup bodes well for Minnesota as San Francisco will be without Reuben Foster. Foster is suspended for the first two games of the season, and their rush defense is already middle of the pack. The Vikings have a favorable schedule for the backfield to succeed.

Important Numbers from 2017

Jerick McKinnon, who left Minnesota for the 49ers, was also a great fantasy running back. He ran for 570 yards but caught 51 passes for 421 yards for the Vikings last season. He finished the season as the 14th ranked running back in fantasy with 209.3 points in a PPR format. 105.1 of those points came as a result of the passing game, which accounted for 50.2 percent of his total share.

Chris Thompson and Samaje Perine both finished in the top 50 fantasy running backs, thanks to Kirk Cousins. Both players scored a large chunk of their points in the passing game. Perine scored 48.2 of his 113.3 points (42.5 percent) in the passing game. Thompson tallied 114 of his 167.9 points (67.9 percent) as a receiver. In total, running backs accounted for 419 of Washington’s 748 touches, or 56 percent, last season.

https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/912115163515555840

That goes to show how Kirk Cousins raises the fantasy value of his running backs, and the same will be true for Cook and Murray in 2018. In Minnesota, running backs received 531 of the team’s 858 total touches, good for 61.9 percent.

All trends point towards Cook and Murray both having great value in fantasy in 2018. Dalvin Cook will live up to the hype and be the team’s main weapon, but Murray will be right behind him. Cook is likely going to dominate the middle of the field, between the 20-yard lines. Murray will be more of a threat in the red zone to power the ball in for the score when needed.

Main photo:
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Luke Parrish

Luke Parrish

I am a student at Wabash College in Indiana, and I have written for several blogs/websites covering the NFL, the Vikings, and the Pacers.

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