Week 17 vs. Detroit Lions
Brandin Cooks caught both of his targets for 14 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins, adding nine yards on a rushing attempt on his way to 9.3 Half-PPR points and a WR36 finish for Wee6 16. Cooks has exactly two catches in three straight games but hasn't topped 45 yards in a game since Week 12.
Cooks is projected for low-end WR3 output against the Lions this week, based on his low output while also factoring in the generosity of the Lions towards wide receivers this season. They rank dead last in aFPA to the position.
Week 16 at Miami Dolphins
Brandin Cooks had a ghastly outing against the Bills in Week 15, catching just two of his six targets for 10 yards. He was badly overthrown for a possible touchdown, but missed chances don't help in fantasy football, with Cooks finishing as the WR88 in Half-PPR scoring.
It's a vital week for fantasy football, and it is important to nail every single fantasy lineup decision. With that in mind, it would be foolish to expect Cooks to deliver more than WR4 numbers this week. He is not seeing enough targets to deliver a safe weekly floor, and even with the Dolphins ranking 20th in aFPA to wide receivers, you really are banking on a big play hitting for Cooks to pay off in Week 16. Buyer beware.
Week 15 at Buffalo Bills
Brandin Cooks was quiet against the Eagles in Week 14, catching only two his five targets for 37 scoreless yards and 4.7 Half-PPR points. He finished outside the top 50 in that format last week.
Cooks has earned a larger role on the Cowboys offense in recent weeks, but his fantasy ceiling is capped by the presence of CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson. Despite the Bills ranking 24th in aFPA to wide receivers, it is tough to project Cooks as anything more than a WR4/FLEX option this week.
Week 14 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Brandin Cooks was efficient against the Seahawks, catching all four of his targets for 45 yards and a touchdown on his way to 14.5 Half-PPR points and a WR17 finish. He's still only the WR42 in average points per game, but this rank has been rising in recent weeks.
Cooks continues to be third on the target totem pole behind CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson, but even a limited role this week should see him firmly in the WR3 conversation. This is because Cooks is up against an Eagles defense that ranks dead last in aFPA to wide receivers.
Week 13 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Brandin Cooks continued to demand a larger role in the Cowboys passing attack in Week 13, leading the team with 72 receiving yards to go with one of Dak Prescott's four touchdowns. Cooks finished the week with 15.2 Half-PPR points and is up to 8.8 points per game.
The Seahawks rank 18th in aFPA to wide receivers this season, so we should temper our expectations for Cooks this week. He should certainly be able to post high-end WR3 numbers, but the presence of CeeDee Lamb certainly puts a cap on his output.
Week 12 vs Washington Commanders
Brandin Cooks saw just four targets against the Panthers, although he did reel in three of them for 42 scoreless yards on his way to 5.7 Half PPR points. Cooks has not made much fantasy noise in a Cowboys uniform and is only WR50 in points per game this season.
Cooks could be in line for happier times in Week 12 against a leaky Commanders defense that ranks 32nd in aFPA to wide receivers. But he's not someone that you should feel you need to start if you have other options. He's a WR4/Flex option at best.
Week 11 at Carolina Panthers
Brandin Cooks had his first explosion game as a Dallas Cowboy against the Giants in Week 10. Cooks had 17 grabs on the season coming into the game, but he reeled in nine of his 10 targets for 173 yards and a touchdown. Cooks delivered 27.8 Half-PPR points, well above his seasonal average of 8.39.
Even though the Cowboys have embraced the passing game of late, the odds of a second blow up game for Cooks are not great. The Panthers are second in aFPA to wide receivers in 2023. Still, Cooks could offer some appeal as a WR4/Flex, but he’s a long way behind CeeDee Lamb in the Cowboys target totem pole.
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.
