The 1.01: Fournette or Cook

[lukkynumber13]

So, in summary, there is no consensus 1.01. There are just as many Cook supporters as there are Fournette supporters. Hopefully, the combine and draft will create a little distance betweem the two.

Yup. I fall more in love with Cook every time I watch film of both guys tho.

[stoneghost28]

I lean towards Cook. Cleaner injury history, I feel like he has more of a complete game, a bit better in the passing game, low center of gravity leads me to love his running style, and I'm not as much of a fan of Fournette's more upright approach, probably won't keep him from being a stud, but it's always alarming when backs have that style. On the positive side I made sure I traded for high picks in '17 throughout '15 and early '16, so in my 9 leagues I have the 1.1 in three leagues, the 1.2 in three leagues, and the 1.3 in three leagues, plus I have a top 6 that will land somewhere in a lottery (I got 1.4 last year). I am leaning towards trading out of the 1.1 if Fournette locks in at 1.1 Zeke style considering I have him, and Cook nearly even, and would be willing to throw Mike Williams into consideration if he kills it at the combine and Clemson pro day. Let someone else grab Fournette if I can get Cook+ for moving down a slot.

I was hoping the Fournette Comp might be Earl Campbell, but after watching Fournette, that isn't even remotely accurate. Not close. Campbell had tree trunk thighs, low center of gravity like Cook, shorter and more power but less speed. Fournette's comp is really, really difficult to come up with and the best and closest I'd come to in terms of actual studs would be Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen, and Steven Jackson. He doesn't look at all like anyone else that would be on that NFL top 50 list beyond those guys to me. Dickerson is closer than anybody probably although Dickerson had a slighter frame, while Jackson is a bit too thick for the comp and Allen isn't quite there either.

[stoneghost28]

Landing spot is key here. If Cook lands in Indy or Green Bay watch out he's 1.01. I'm not a Fournette fan actually if he fell to me at 1.03 or 1.04 I probably wouldn't take him. I believe his season will be injury riddled. I can see him being a Gronkowski or Arian Foster type of player: stud when he's on the field but he's never on the field.

So projecting teams that will consider one or both of them amongst non-guaranteed current playoff teams:

Best Case:
Oakland: Elite OL and Passing game, no competition if Murray is let go in FA

Indy: Bad OL but elite passing game, appears team is ready to start improving OL after last years first round Center.

Green Bay: Elite passing game, adequate OL.

New Orleans Elite passing game, not horrific OL if they move on from Ingram.

Adequate Situations:
Washington: Oddly ineffective OL at run blocking (in the middle and to the right) is the only reason this isn't a best case.

Philadelphia: Solid OL, growing passing game in need of weapons.

Baltimore: Team has produced some elite RB's in Jamal Lewis and Ray Rice and retains much of the same staff/FO that was willing to lean heavy on the running game, no competition (Kenneth goes to the bench easily if they draft Fournette or Cook), and improving OL.

Detroit: Solid passing game, great OC, no competition at RB, adequate OL.

Carolina: Elite opportunity if Stewart goes, but Cam's TD poaching is a problem.

Jacksonville: Adequate OL when healthy, all passing game weapons needed other than the guy throwing the ball, new coach wouldn't be loyal to Ivory or Yeldon.

Bad Situations:
Chicago: Empty spot at QB, improved OL, WR's in flux, coach at risk of getting canned.

NYJ: No QB, aging passing game, no stability with coaching staff.

Cleveland: Solid OL, no stability at QB, coach has a habit of using Cincy styled committee's.

Denver: Identical situation to Jacksonville-lots of weapons to avoid stacked line, but no QB, stupid coach, and only adequate blocking.

Teams I expect to target Fournette and Cook: New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville, Carolina, Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Indianapolis. Detroit or Green Bay (whomever misses the playoffs) and happily none of those situations are close to as bad as St. Louis when Gurley landed there and now.

[Cameron Giles]

I'm pretty confident that if Fournette participates in the combine, then this won't be surprisingly split down the middle anymore. Personally, I don't think you need the combine to know that Fournette is a freak of nature and should be taken over Cook. He has the complete package as a runner:

-Explosiveness
-Speed
-Vision
-Power
-Elusiveness
-Freak athleticism (bonus)

[stoneghost28]

I'm pretty confident that if Fournette participates in the combine, then this won't be surprisingly split down the middle anymore. Personally, I don't think you need the combine to know that Fournette is a freak of nature and should be taken over Cook.

I don't see it that way. I also would love to see more footage of these guys running in normal situations, need some all 22 tape, rather than highlight packages that people don't realize aren't highlights (if a guy isn't touched because his line has opened a hole as wide as the Holland Tunnel, the highlight is about the OL and play design, and not about the running back). I think they're both pretty damn special, I also really like how he delivered on his 5 star ranking, and was a 3.8 GPA kid in high school trying to graduate from LSU in 3 years, that's as impressive to me, love a RB with great mental make up, and hopefully it's across the board.

Regardless, I think both guys end up top 10-15 rushers in the NFL pretty quickly with top 5 potential down the road.

[People Mover]

My biggest fear is that this turns out (down the line) to be a Ryan Leaf / Peyton Manning situation. Both were thought to be can't miss prospects.

[CL3VELANDBR0WNS]

Cleveland: Solid OL, no stability at QB, coach has a habit of using Cincy styled committee's.

Cleveland's OL is league bottom. They let their key pieces walk and this draft class isn't going to relieve the pain.

[CL3VELANDBR0WNS]

For me it's whoever goes to the better franchise.
It's fantasy we are playing here.
Think of it this way: You could think Gurley is better than Zeke but that doesn't change the fact that Zeke is in the most fantasy optimal situation out of arguably any player at any position and that Gurley has attempted to be a one man offense.

[stoneghost28]

Cleveland graded out as having the 9th ranked OL according to PFF back in late November. They projected Cleveland as a bottom third OL back in July, I think 22nd or 23rd, but have them as significantly better than that this year. However, I do realize that PFF can be wrong, just like any other analytics group, but not to that degree.

[stoneghost28]

For me it's whoever goes to the better franchise.
It's fantasy we are playing here.
Think of it this way: You could think Gurley is better than Zeke but that doesn't change the fact that Zeke is in the most fantasy optimal situation out of arguably any player at any position and that Gurley has attempted to be a one man offense.

No doubt, I drafted Gurley in two start ups back in '15, and traded Lamar Miller and Matt Ryan and Kenneth Dixon as a part of a bigger mega deal for Gurley, Kevin White, Cam Meredith, and Tyrell Williams back in early October. I'm definitely feeling that Rams pain, and there isn't any cavalry coming because they traded a ton of picks for Goff. Fixing that OL and WR position is something that will take years plural, ruining Gurley for the foreseeable future. If I were Gurley I'd absolutely bail after the rookie deal is up.

[DynoScout]

Fournette is a throwback player so I get why people like him. That said I have enough concerns about how he will translate to the modern NFL game that I would take Cook right now, simply because I think it's a safer bet with equal/greater ROI.

[stoneghost28]

My biggest fear is that this turns out (down the line) to be a Ryan Leaf / Peyton Manning situation. Both were thought to be can't miss prospects.

Not so much (in my view), they were prospects that each had flaws the other lacked: Leaf had the big arm Peyton didn't have, and didn't have a track record of choking in his biggest games, while Leaf lacked Peyton's polish, experience and seeming command of the technical aspects of the position. People worried about Manning's habit of coming up small in big games, or his lack of a a big arm, tended to prefer Leaf, people worried about Leaf's lack of a proven track record, and those who dug deep enough, horror show mental make up issues and who weren't concerned with manning's handful of issues, preferred Manning. Maybe I'm just being picky, but I also know that Franchise QB's in round 1 indeed have a 50% or less hit rate depending upon where they're picked, much worse than RB prospects, which is why I'm being a bit persnickety. RB's tend to have a better hit rate, just as long as you remember to skip entirely over the top end of the '05 draft .

[clarion contrarion]

I have the 1.01.. and I'm leaning Fournette.

It's mostly because I became a fan after seeing him play live last year. It was during that stretch when he was dominating everyone. He went for 233 yds and 3 TDs (against Eastern Michigan, but still). It was like watching a man amongst boys.

Anyway- I'm rooting for him to end up in a good situation so that I won't have any hesitations about grabbing him because I've wanted him on my team ever since that day.

However- it all depends where these guys get drafted. If the situation is that much better for Cooks, I'll go Cooks.

the man among boys argument was used for gurley as well but playing against men he looks a bit less dominant , love fournette's upside and cook as well but the generational talent argument is popping up often around here either generations are getting shorter or the term is being pretty loosely - just saying !. In the right situation I would have no trouble adding a couple mid to late 1sts to something to move up and take fournette but if he goes to a less than stellar situation I would exercise caution before overpaying.
That said if I owned the 1:1, I would be patient as the hype is building and someone may get ignorant and really over pay for the right to have him on their team.

[Crwdstunna]

I think Fournette, Cook, Williams, Davis, and McCafferey are all possible 1.01. Think if the Patriots draft Christian? In the discussion at least

[Needalife]

As others say, landing spot will be a huge factor. I'd really like to see one of them land in Indy and be paired with Luck. Stable franchise is nice. Competent QB situation is really nice. Beastly offensive line is really really nice. I'm skipping any that to go CLE.

In the ppr world, Cook seems to be the guy. Fournette is a beast though and I have them equal right now. All that said, I'm not discounting Mike Williams if he lands in an uber-ideal spot.