2022 Fantasy Upside
Although his name was bandied about in trade rumblings once again, Brandin Cooks isn't going anywhere after agreeing to terms on a two-year deal with the Texans in March. Drafted 20th overall in 2014 by the Saints, Cooks has played for the Saints, Patriots, Rams and Texans after being traded three times in his career. The 28-year-old is easily one of the best players on a talent-starved Houston roster. Last year Cooks led the Texans with 90 catches for 1,037 yards and six touchdowns. Since arriving in the NFL, the 2014 first-round pick hasn't experienced the kind of breakthrough that put him in the elite tier at his position. However, as BleacherReport.com notes, the floor for Cooks has always remained high. He has failed to crack 1,000 yards only twice. The first was when he was limited to 10 games as a rookie and the second came in 2019, when he had to compete for targets with Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods in Los Angeles. Texans coordinator Pep Hamilton said that bringing back Cooks ensures Houston will have a go-to threat that defenses must game-plan for each week. At the very least he'll continue to provide the Davis Mills and the Houston offense with a play-making presence it otherwise lacks.
2022 Fantasy Downside
General concerns about the Texans' offense might be an issue. But it's hard to find a lot of downside given Cook's reasonable ADP.
2022 Bottom Line
If you're concerned about Mills, 4for4's John Paulsen notes the QB played pretty well as a rookie and targeted Cooks on 28.3 percent of his attempts in 12 games. Cooks averaged 6.2 receptions for 65.5 yards and 0.42 touchdowns in that span, which translates to 105 catches for 1,113 yards and 7.1 touchdowns over the course of a 17-game season. All of this prompted Paulsen to add: "As the 29th receiver off the board in early Underdog drafts, Cooks might be the biggest value at his position."
