Team news: Dallas Cowboys | Page 45

Speaking Thursday, Vikings RB Dalvin Cook said “I’ll be out there Sunday” against the Lions.

Certainly a lot of confidence and a positive sign after Cook suffered a chest injury in Seattle on Monday, but he was on the practice field Wednesday and obviously feels very ready to go. And against the shaky Lions defense, Cook can be fired up in leagues across the board and owners hope he helps carry them into the fantasy semifinals.

Vikings WR Adam Thielen (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday while RB Dalvin Cook (chest) was limited.

The hamstring continues to bother Thielen and unless something changes soon, he may not be available again when the Vikings face the Lions on Sunday. Cook being limited is a good sign. He felt good about his chances of getting back on the field rather quickly after Monday's game against the Seahawks, so it's good to see he's already back on the practice field, even if it's just in a limited capacity for now, as the team might just be easing him through the week before Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook suffered an injury to his right shoulder in the third quarter of Monday night's 37-30 loss to the Seattle Seahawks and did not return.

Cook said he got hit in the same spot when he played against Denver - and also fumbled - and "it's a weird injury" he has right now. Despite remaining on the sideline after being evaluated in the locker room, Cook said he felt like he could have returned to the game if needed but the team chose to keep him out for "precautionary" reasons. Cook added he'll definitely be ready for Week 14. As we know, we can't always trust when a player says that so we'll all be monitoring Cook this week heading into a game with the Lions. Cook owners should already have Alexander Mattison as a handcuff, but if he's not owned he's worth grabbing off the wire. However, he'll likely be a popular target, even for those who don't own Cook.

Dalvin Cook's explosive playmaking abilities are the cornerstone of the Vikings' system and have boosted quarterback Kirk Cousins' play. What Cook has accomplished in 2019 -- his first healthy season in three -- is what the Vikings envisioned when they traded up to draft him 41st overall in 2017.

Before the season, Minnesota recommitted to a running game that struggled in 2018. The Vikings ranked 30th in yards (1,493), 27th in carries (357) and 25th in yards per carry (4.18). This season, a revitalized zone-blocking scheme has produced the fifth-highest output in running back yards (4.80) and open-field yards, defined as when a team's running back earns more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, the story added.