Continuing the trend of running back extensions, Dalvin Cook and Alvin Kamara both recently received long-term deals. These contracts lock them into Minnesota and New Orleans, respectively, for the foreseeable future. Let’s look at each deal individually and jump into the effects from a dynasty perspective.
Dalvin Cook
Cook’s contract is a 5-year, $62.5 million extension through 2025 with $28 million in guaranteed money. While we don’t have the exact dead cap figures on Cook’s contract, I expect that the deal is essentially a two or three-year extension. The Vikings should be unable to escape the agreement until 2022, based on dead cap hits. They can then evaluate Cook’s future going into 2023, when he will be 28 years old.
Now that Cook has received an extension, he immediately vaults back into the top of dynasty rankings. Pending health, Cook now has three guaranteed years of RB1 production, as the Vikings will undoubtedly use him as a workhorse based on this deal. Cook is now my dynasty RB6 and eighth overall player.
The Rest of the Vikings
At this point, Cook will now be the workhorse back for the Vikings for the next three seasons. Therefore, Alexander Mattison will be Cook’s backup for that time, as his rookie deal runs through 2022. While Mattison is one of the best backups in the league, and still provides handcuff value, he no longer has a direct path to become a starting running back.
Therefore, I’ve dropped Mattison significantly in my dynasty rankings. I have him behind players like Phillip Lindsay, who has an easier path to production in 2020 and beyond without injuries in front of them. Unfortunately, dynasty owners missed their selling window on Mattison throughout the offseason, and now he’s only a hold. If you can acquire a future second-round pick or a bit more from the Cook owner, I’m fine selling Mattison at that price.
As for the rest of the Vikings, I don’t think this move affects anyone too much. Paying Cook might lead the Vikings to need to save some salary-cap space. Perhaps they’ll move on from Adam Thielen or Kyle Rudolph slightly sooner than they would otherwise. That would open the door for Justin Jefferson or Irv Smith Jr. to gain additional opportunities. I wouldn’t necessarily count on that happening, though. Also, if you’re still holding onto Mike Boone as a deep stash, you can drop him from your roster now.
Alvin Kamara
Kamara got even more money than Cook, signing a 5-year, $75 million contract with $34 million guaranteed. Like Cook, we don’t know the exact terms of Kamara’s deal, but I suspect it’s a similar structure. The Saints and Kamara should be tied together through 2022, although the higher guaranteed figure means it could be 2023.
Kamara is an excellent pass-catcher, and those types of running backs tend to age more gracefully than bruiser-types. Therefore, I have zero concerns about Kamara as a dynasty asset, and he’s immediately back to the top tier. I rank Kamara as my dynasty RB4 and fifth overall player, so I’m comfortable selecting him in the early first round. Kamara should be a centerpiece RB1 for years to come, especially in PPR leagues.
The Rest of the Saints
Unlike the Vikings, the Saints didn’t have a young handcuff running back, as an aging Latavius Murray is their backup to Kamara. Murray has an out in his deal after 2020, and the Saints will be in cap hell going into 2021. I think the Saints look for a cheaper complement to Kamara in the 2021 NFL Draft, and Murray either moves on to a backup role elsewhere or retires.
The Saints have no other relevant running backs on the roster now that Kamara has signed his extension. Ty Montgomery was an intriguing stash for a bit of the offseason, but he’s an easy cut at this point. While Montgomery has flashed a bit over the years, there’s no reason to hold him anymore as he’s only a third-stringer.
More intriguing for the Saints is their overall cap situation. They will need to move on from multiple players after the 2020 season, and they likely will face Drew Brees’ retirement as well. Michael Thomas is on his own long-term deal, but he’s the only player who’s truly safe on the offense.
The Saints can save $8 million by releasing Emmanuel Sanders after 2020, which I expect them to do with their cap situation. Also, Jared Cook is a free agent who they won’t be able to re-sign. They might need to commit some money to a new quarterback, assuming they don’t make the mistake of using Taysom Hill as their long-term starter. Whether it’s backup Jameis Winston, a first-round quarterback, or a free-agent, they need to find some money for a new quarterback. The Saints will be intriguing to watch, as they’re going all-in in 2020, but they could look so different in 2021 and 2022.
Thanks for reading this article. You can find me on Twitter at @DFF_Karp. I love to interact with anyone in the community, so reach out at any time! I take fantasy questions and help with all formats, so keep sending those questions my way.
