Week 1 vs. Seattle
With Kam Chancellor still holding out in SEattle, Jared Cook is a mismatch Week 1 against the Seahawks (on paper). Unfortunately for the Rams and fantasy owners, Cook will always be a mismatch on paper, but a tease on the field. His size and speed should give second-year safety Dion Bailey trouble, but Cook has always been maddeningly inconsistent (both as a pass-catcher and a route-runner). The Seahawks also had the No. 1 fantasy pass defense in the league last year, and it's unlikely the Rams passing game will be potent at any time this season. Ranked as our TE28 for this week, avoid Cook in all formats.
Fantasy Upside
Jared Cook has always been a mismatch on paper. At 6-foot-5 and 254 pounds, he's bigger than defensive backs forced to match up with him in coverage and he's faster than most linebackers. He also finished seventh among tight ends with 98 targets last season, up from the 83 looks he received in 2013. The Rams are changing offensive coordinators (Brian Schottenheimer to Frank Cignetti) and have a new quarterback (Nick Foles), but Cook should receive a fair amount of looks again this season.
Fantasy Downside
One of the reasons Lance Kendricks re-signed with the Rams this offseason was because the team promised him an expanded role in the passing game. He reportedly left more money on the table in Atlanta to return to St. Louis for four years at $18.5 million. Although Kendricks lines up in-line and Cook is often detached, if the Rams expand Kendricks' role in the passing game that will mean fewer targets for Cook. And despite seeing 98 targets a year ago, Cook finished with just 52 receptions for 634 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers made him the 15th overall tight end in fantasy last season.
Bottom Line
Cook has been a tease since he entered the league in 2009, flashing big potential but failing to put together a breakout season. His highest fantasy finish came in 2013 when he was TE12 and there's no reason to believe his numbers will climb this year. Cook is what he is at this point in his career: A 50-catch, 630-yard, 3.5-touchdown player. Ranked No. 23 among tight ends at 4for4, avoid him on draft night.
Week 17: Cook vs. Seahawks
Jared Cook caught five-of-seven targets for 41 yards in the Rams' Week 16 loss to the Giants. Cook has the size and speed to be a mismatch as a detached tight end in Brian Schottenheimer's offense but he's not featured enough to be a reliable fantasy starter. He also has inconsistent hands and rarely makes the difficult catch, making him a moderate option in the passing game. Avoid him for Week 17.
Week 16: Cooks vs. Giants
Jared Cook caught three-of-eight passes for 22 yards in the Rams’ Week 15 loss to the Cardinals. He also committed a pass interference penalty and was largely ineffective in his attempts to get open against a talented Arizona pass defense. He as a great matchup on Sunday versus a New York defense that ranks as the second-worst versus fantasy tight ends this season but Cook is completely unreliable. He ranks as our No. 14 overall TE for Week 16 and should be viewed as a desperation option in deeper leagues only.
Week 15: Cook vs. Cardinals
Jared Cook caught four-of-five targets for 61 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' Week 14 win over the Redskins. It was Cook's first multi-touchdown game since Week 1 of 2013 when he caught two touchdowns versus the Cardinals in his St. Louis debut. But despite last week's stellar game, Cook remains an inconsistent fantasy option. Granted, he does have three touchdowns in two games versus the Cardinals the last two years but he remains a dicey option in all fantasy formats. We recommend avoiding him in Week 15.
Week 14: Cook vs. Redskins
Jared Cook was targeted just once but failed to record a pass in the Rams’ 52-0 win over the Raiders in Week 13. Despite being a potential matchup nightmare for defensive backs and linebackers, Cook’s unreliable hands and the Rams’ inconsistent passing game make him a TE2 only. Avoid him in all formats.
Week 13: Cook vs. Raiders
Jared Cook caught three-of-nine targets for 27 yards in the Rams' Week 12 loss to the Chargers. The nine targets were tied with Stedman Bailey for a team-high on the day and it was the most looks Cook has received since he was targeted 11 times in a Week 6 loss to the 49ers. Even with the high target count, Cook has failed to catch more than four passes in every game outside of one (Week 3 vs. Dallas) this season. He looks the part of a pass-catching tight end but he struggles to create separation in coverage and his hands are inconsistent. Avoid him if possible.
Week 12: Cook vs. Chargers
Jared Cook caught three-of-five targets for 19 yards in the Rams’ Week 11 win over the Broncos. Cook’s best game over the past month has been his 2/84/1 game against the Cardinals in Week 10. But take out his 42-yard touchdown pass in that game and it wouldn’t have been yet another quiet game for the St. Louis tight end. Cook remains a touchdown-dependent TE2.
Week 11: Cook vs. Broncos
Jared Cook caught two-of-three targets for 84 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 10 loss to the Cardinals. After torching Arizona for 141 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches in Week 1 last year, Cook might be fantasy’s No. 1 tight end if he had an opportunity to play Arizona every week. Then again, he did drop the first pass that was thrown to him last Sunday and only saved his fantasy day by breaking free for a 59-yard touchdown reception up the seam in the second quarter. Cook ranks as our No. 14 overall TE for Week 11 and should be avoided. He’s not consistent enough to be a reliable fantasy option.
Week 10: Cook vs. Cardinals
Jared Cook caught just 2-of-5 targets for 12 yards in the Rams’ Week 9 win over the 49ers. In his last three games, Cook has managed just 6-of-11 targets for 48 yards and no touchdowns as the Rams’ passing attack continues to flounder. He was targeted heavily earlier in the year but as quarterback Austin Davis has regressed, so too have players like Cook. He ranks as our No. 11 TE for Week 10 and will be a touchdown-dependent start for fantasy owners this week.
