Week 2 vs New York Jets
To say Brandin Cooks enjoyed a quiet Cowboys debut would be putting it mildly. He played 59% of the offensive snaps and was targeted just twice in their rout of the New York Giants. He was able to catch both of these looks, but could only muster 22 yards on his way to 3.2 Half-PPR points. Cooks finished the week as the WR75 in that format.
The Cowboys wide receivers face the toughest matchup on the Week 2 slate as they take on the New York Jets, which puts something of a cap on expectations for fantasy managers. It's hard to trust Cooks as anything more than a WR4 this week.
Week 1 at New York Giants
2022 was a seriously down year for Brandin Cooks, as he finished his time with the Houston Texans. Cooks caught 57 balls - the third-lowest tally of his career - for just 699 yards, scoring three touchdowns on the way. Cooks averaged a mere 9.0 Half-PPR points per game, "good" for WR49. 2022 was just the second season in which Cooks has not finished inside the top 36 at his position.
Cooks made the move across Texas to Dallas this offseason, and while he undoubtedly is on a better team, he is firmly the secondary option in the wide receiver room behind CeeDee Lamb. He doesn't have a terrible matchup in Week 1, as the New York Giants were 16th in aFPA to wide receivers a year ago. But it's hard to project him as anything more than a WR3, given the weapons the Cowboys have around him.
Fantasy Upside
Brandin Cooks finds himself as the second chair on an offense for the first time in at least four seasons after his move to the Cowboys and should be able to serve as a decent wingman to CeeDee Lamb. Cooks saw an average of 1.5 deep targets per game in 2022, but the quality of his service left much to be desired. Dak Prescott is a much more accurate distributor than the players Cooks had to deal with in the last two seasons in Houston and should be able to flirt with WR3 numbers in 2023
Fantasy Downside
The Cowboys seem set on leaning more heavily on their ground game in 2023 under Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer, sucking targets out of the offense and leaving pass catchers other than CeeDee Lamb feeding off scraps. WR2s on teams that don't pass very often rarely make for fantasy gems.
2023 Bottom Line
Cooks has made a living of slightly outkicking his ADP over the last few seasons, all the while dealing with substandard QB play. Now he has a chance to be something of value, going at a WR4 price tag when if things break right, he could flirt with WR3 numbers.
Week 17 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Brandin Cooks is back and he caught the game-winning touchdown last week to knock the Titans out of first place in the AFC South. Cooks saw nine targets last week and looks to be back as the WR1 in Houston. The issue is the inconsistency of the quarterback position and who even is on the field on each play. Cooks is a low-end WR3/Flex option for the fantasy finals.
Week 16 at Tennessee Titans
Brandin Cooks looks set to return this week for his first game since Week 12. Cooks has not been the receiver we've known over the years but that can be chalked up to his quarterback play this season. Cooks hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4 and has reached 80 yards just once this season. Cooks is a low and risky flex play this week against the Titans.
Week 13 vs. Cleveland Browns
Brandin Cooks saw five targets in Kyle Allen's first start for the Texans and caught all five of them for 59 yards. It helped that the Texans were throwing a bunch in garbage time, after being down 30-0 at halftime. It also marked Cooks' second straight double-digit fantasy day and third in his last four games. Early on, we may see a connection between Allen and Cooks. But against a solid Browns secondary, it could be another tough task for the Texans through the air. Cooks is a flex option at best this week.
Week 12 at Miami Dolphins
We finally saw a glimpse of the Brandin Cooks we used to know with 70 yards, only the third time he cracked 70 yards this season. The question now is how he'll do with a quarterback change as the Texans are now rolling with Kyle Allen as the starter. It's understandable if you choose to stay away from Cooks because of the uncertainty with Allen. He's a deep option regardless with no teams on a bye this week.
Week 11 vs. Washington Commanders
Brandin Cooks is at least still getting targets. After missing Week 9 due to personal reasons (aka he was upset Houston didn't trade him), he saw 7 targets against the Giants and now gets a matchup with a Washington team that ranks 20th in Pass DVOA, though we saw how effective their corners can be at time, especially Benjamin St. Juste, on Monday night. But in Houston's offense, Cooks is nothing more than a flex option at this stage,
Week 10 at New York Giants
Brandin Cooks missed Week 9 against the Eagles due to "personal reasons". Basically, he was upset he wasn't traded. He's back with the team, however, so we'll see how the relationship is going forward. But with the passing offense of the Texans very limited, it becomes very tricky how to deal with Cooks. He's not even a surefire flex option. We're now at the point where you need to be very cautious with Cooks going forward.
Week 9 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The trade deadline came and went and Brandin Cooks is still a Texan. The reality is his contract made a trade very difficult. So he remains in Houston, which may or may not be a good thing. He did reach 73 yards and has four straight games with at least four catches. He still only has one touchdown and getting a second on Thursday, against the duo of Darius Slay and James Bradberry, will prove quite difficult. Proceed with caution on Cooks on a short week.
