Week 14 at Miami Dolphins
The Patriots have the highest implied team total for Week 14 with 29 points. Chris Hogan is back this week, but Rob Gronkowski is also suspended. That means Cooks' volume should be safe. He had an off week in Week 13, but his overall body of work is encouraging for the fantasy postseason. The Dolphins are around league average in aFPA to WRs, but Cooks did well against this secondary last season (6-83-1). He's locked in as a WR1 in Week 14.
Week 13 at Buffalo Bills
In a week with relatively low over/unders across the board in Vegas, the Patriots and Bills have the highest at 48.5 points with the Patriots having the second-highest implied team total at 28.5 points. That's a good sign for Patriots receivers. Cooks is a top-five WR this week due to these factors and the Bills being just around league average in aFPA versus WRs. He has back-to-back 20+ point weeks. Enjoy the hot streak.
Week 12 vs. Miami Dolphins
Patriots targets over their past two games with Chris Hogan out (which appears will be the case again this week): Brandin Cook-20, Danny Amendola-13, Rob Gronkowski-10, Rex Burkhead-9, Martellus Bennett-6. Cooks has emerged as the preferred target of Tom Brady and gets a matchup this week in which the Patriots have the highest implied team total in Vegas of 32 points. Start Cooks with confidence.
Week 11 vs. Oakland Raiders (game in Mexico City)
Atrapa la fiebre de la fantasía. That translates to "Catch the fantasy fever", as the Patriots and Raiders square off in Mexico. Chris Hogan is doubtful again this week, meaning Cooks should again see an uptick in targets. This is also a Raiders team that Cooks put up 6-143-2 against last season with the Saints. His ceiling is not that high in this offense, as Tom Brady spreads it around, but Cooks has 19 targets in his past two games, making him a solid WR2 in Week 11.
Week 10 at Denver Broncos
With Chris Hogan likely out, Brandin Cooks' targets should see an increase. It's not a great matchup, as Denver is third in our aFPA vs. WR rankings, but given the efficiency of the Patriots, Cooks is still a viable WR2 in Week 10.
Week 8 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Somewhat quietly, Brandin Cooks is a top-10 fantasy WR in all formats. He's a top-10 WR again in standard this week, but his lack of high volume targets and receptions pushes him down to a WR2 in PPR. The matchup is a good one, as the Chargers are ranked 20th in our aFPA vs. WR rankings. They are also just 20th overall in PPR points allowed to WRs. Start Cooks with confidence in the second-highest over/under of Week 8 between the Chargers and Patriots.
Week 7 vs. Atlanta Falcons
The Patriots have the highest implied total in Vegas this week, possibly foreshadowing a shootout. The Falcons are about league average in our aFPA vs. WR rankings and a respectable 11th in overall PPR points allowed to the position. Cooks has set a season-high in targets in back-to-back weeks, but it's important to note that with the Saints, he did not crack 50 yards or a touchdown in his last four games against the Falcons. Consider him a risky WR2 this week.
Week 6 at New York Jets
It's clear Chris Hogan is Tom Brady's primary WR target and not Brandin Cooks. This has continued Cooks' career trend of boom-or-bust fantasy weeks. Yes, he has a 30-point PPR week this season, but his other four weeks were less than 14 PPR points. Even with an outstanding matchup on paper, Cooks is in low-end WR2 status with Tom Brady content to spread the ball around.
Week 5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Brandin Cooks has yet to get more than seven targets in a game this season, leading to more of the same we've seen in his career, week-to-week fantasy inconsistency. You start him, though, because when he's on, he can be a weekly winner. Against Tampa Bay on Thursday Night, he's a WR2 in PPR again with upside. In two games with the Saints against the Bucs last year, Cooks did not score and averaged 12.95 PPR points. The Bucs are a great matchup too, ranked just 31st in our aFPA vs. PPR WRs. Despite it being a Thursday Night game, the Patriots have the highest implied total in Vegas for Week 5 at 30.75 points.
Week 4 vs. Carolina Panthers
The Patriots have the highest implied team total of Week 4 in Vegas with 29 points. Brandin Cooks found some chemistry with his new quarterback last week, and it was fantasy goodness. He put up a 5-131-2 line on 7 targets last week against Houston. He has another favorable matchup this week against a team with a solid front-seven but a questionable back end, evidenced by Drew Brees passing for 3 touchdowns in Carolina last week. The Panthers are middle-of-the-road in our aFPA vs. PPR WRs, but Cooks has a history against his former division rival, averaging 6.75-99.5-0.5 in his last four games against the Panthers. That makes him a potential WR1 in Week 4.
