Fantasy Upside
After racking up 550 yards and three touchdowns on 53 catches in just 10 games as a rookie, Brandin Cooks cracked the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his sophomore campaign after turning 129 targets into 84 receptions, 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite starting the year slowly, Cooks finished as fantasy’s WR12 and gained 13.5 yards per catch after Sean Payton started to unleash him as a vertical threat in the Saints offense. With Drew Brees showing no signs of slowing down, Cooks has plenty of upside heading into his third season.
Fantasy Downside
The Saints signed tight end Coby Fleener and drafted former Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas in the second round. With those additions, it’s difficult to envision Cooks seeing another 129 targets in the Saints offense. With fewer opportunities in the passing game, will Cooks at least match what he achieved a year ago? He’s too talented and too explosive to become a forgotten man in New Orleans, but the additions of Fleener and Thomas should at least give fantasy owner’s pause when considering investing a mid-third round pick in Cooks this year.
2016 Bottom Line
Cooks probably won’t post WR1 numbers, especially with Fleener, Thomas and Willie Snead commanding looks in the Saints offense. Plus, Payton likes to throw to his running backs, so Cooks might not come near the 129 targets he saw a year ago. That said, Cooks is a legitimate WR2 with upside and could be an excellent complement to fantasy owners who find a bona fide WR1 in one of the first two rounds. Just be prepared to draft Cooks early in the third, because his current ADP in 10-team leagues is 3.07 (and 3.03 in 12-teamers).
