Fantasy Upside
For years, we've touted Jared Cook as a player with loads of upside but never could break through the glass ceiling. He finally did so in 2018 as a member of the Oakland Raiders, finishing with 68 catches for 896 yards and six touchdowns, good for a top-five fantasy finish among tight ends. He recorded four games with over 100 yards. And this was all with Derek Carr at quarterback. Now he'll catch passes from Drew Brees after signing with the Saints for $7.5 million per year. The Saints' coaches have been raving all offseason about Cook's abilities on the field. Cook is in line to be a very important piece of the Saints' offense.
Fantasy Downside
Cook certainly isn't on the level of Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz or George Kittle and he is on the wrong side of 30 years old (32). He also faces a tough schedule in the second half of the season, including projected difficult matchups against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14 and the Tennessee Titans in Week 16.
Bottom Line
If you miss out on the top group of tight ends in your draft, Cook provides a world of upside among the second tier of tight ends. Cook will dominate looks in the middle of the field for the Saints and should continue to trend of strong fantasy seasons for a Saints tight end. Keep those playoff matchups in mind, but the upside in this offense may outweigh the risk.