Brandin Cooks

Week 14 at Seattle Seahawks
Brandin Cooks saw a 77% snap share in Week 13, close to his 78% average for the season, but his 0.07 PPR points per snap was the ninth-lowest mark among the 73 wide receivers with a snap share of 60% or above. Since returning from a concussion that kept him away from football for four weeks, Cooks has garnered six total targets and hasn't had more than four receptions in a game since Week 4. It's nearly impossible to recommend him as a start during the fantasy playoffs.

Week 12 vs Baltimore Ravens
Brandin Cooks is expected to return for the first time since being knocked out of the Rams' Week 8 matchup with the Bengals with a concussion. He remains a risk for re-injury, but he's still quite capable of a WR1 weekly finish in the right matchup.

Unfortunately, Week 12's matchup with Baltimore doesn't project to be one of those. Cooks' high aDOT is a product of both Cooks' speed and his relatively deep and longer-developing routes. The Rams' offensive line inconsistency along with Jared Goff's performance behind it has limited Los Angeles' offensive production overall, but Cooks' target volume has been particularly affected. If Cooks does return to action, he's at best a WR3 start with an extremely low floor and limited ceiling.

Week 8 vs Cincinnati Bengals
Brandin Cooks hasn't finished a game with more than 71 receiving yards since Week 3, and while his seven targets in Week 7 were a promising sign after two straight weeks with just three targets, he still finished as just the fantasy WR42 for the week, lowering his overall ranking to the WR28. As the Rams' primary deep threat, the continued struggles of Jared Goff behind an underperforming offensive line has sapped his value.

Cooks just project to see primary coverage from cornerback Tony McRae, who has arguably been the weakest link in the Bengals' secondary. The Bengals don't present much of a pass-rushing threat, which should be good news for Goff's ability to have enough time to target Cooks on his deeper routes. If Cooks can't take advantage of this defensive matchup, he'll be very difficult to trust as anything more than a WR3 at best with a number of more challenging defenses on the horizon. For Week 8, he's startable as a low-end WR2.