Week 16 vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Amari Cooper's Week 15 performance was one of his worst of the year and came at the wrong time for Cooper managers counting on his consistency for the fantasy playoffs. Cooper should be able to right the ship this week against Darius Slay and the Eagles' secondary. Slay has traditionally been solid in coverage but has struggled with opposing #1 wideouts this year. Cooper's floor has been among the most steady at the position all year, including after losing Dak Prescott, and the dud last week was more of an outlier than something you can expect to be repeated. Fire up Cooper as a WR2 this week in a divisional showdown.
Week 15 vs. San Francisco 49ers
Amari Cooper has maintained a solid floor even after losing his starting quarterback. Cooper has finished worse than a WR3 in two games all season, and managed to turn five targets last week in four catches for 51 yards and a touchdown, showing that he can be a viable fantasy option even without massive volume. Now Cooper will face off with a 49ers secondary where he will see Richard Sherman and Jason Verrett lining up across from him. Both of those corners are solid in coverage, but Cooper should be able to create enough separation to produce another starting-quality performance as the 49ers still only rank near the middle of the pack in regard to matchups for opposing wideouts. Cooper is a starting option as a WR3 in Week 15.
Week 14 at Cincinnati Bengals
Amari Cooper has managed to settle into consistent WR2 status in the absence of Dak Prescott. While Andy Dalton is no Prescott, his play has improved in recent weeks and he continues to give Cooper enough looks for Cooper to maintain a stable floor in fantasy. Cooper has touchdowns in back-to-back games while dealing with tough matchups against Washington and Baltimore. Now the Cowboys get to take on the Bengals and their weak defense in Week 14. Cooper typically sees a floor of around seven targets, which should be more than enough to turn in a starter-worthy performance against Cincinnati. Keep Cooper in lineups as a solid WR2 this week.
Week 13 at Baltimore Ravens
Amari Cooper has maintained a stable floor during a tumultuous offensive season in Dallas. Cooper has caught fewer than five passes in only two games this season, and is the only Dallas receiver who consistently posts healthy yardage totals. His touchdown opportunities have taken a significant hit in the wake of Dak Prescott's injury, but his alpha role in the Cowboy passing game makes him worthy of starting in fantasy. The Ravens are a difficult matchup for receivers, but Cooper's floor grants him WR3 status even in a difficult spot.
Week 12 vs. Washington Football Team
The loss of Dak Prescott has hindered the Dallas offense as a whole, but Amari Cooper has remained a solid WR2 outside of two bad weeks earlier in the season. Cooper again led the Cowboys in targets with seven in Week 11, and he was the only pass catcher to record a decent yardage total by turning his six catches into 81 yards. It looks like Cooper's fantasy viability will be able to survive the Cowboys' offensive turmoil, but his ceiling has been significantly lowered without Prescott. Now Cooper will have to deal with the difficult Washington pass defense on Thanksgiving. Cooper's consistent volume makes him worthy of starting in any matchup, but his projections fall closer to WR3 numbers in Week 12.
Week 11 at Minnesota Vikings
Amari Cooper has been surviving the Cowboys' offensive turmoil based on volume but there's no question his efficiency has taken a hit since losing Dak Prescott. Cooper's touchdown upside has diminished, plus the Cowboys are running the ball more with Prescott, meaning Cooper will depend on volume more than ever to produce in fantasy. The volume will still be there for Cooper some weeks, and getting Dalton back under center can only help his cause, but it is fair to expect more volatility from him post-Prescott. Against a weak Vikings secondary, Cooper is still a WR2 for fantasy and worthy of starting.
Week 9 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
It will be hard to project any of the Dallas pass catchers this week with either Garrett Gilbert or Cooper Rush taking over under center against a strong Pittsburgh defense. Amari Cooper is coming off a game where he recorded a single catch for five yards. Cooper's fantasy stock is plummeting along with the entire Dallas offense. The Steelers secondary can be beat but they also boast a strong pass rush that spells danger for the Dallas passing game. With a new quarterback under center, we can't even be sure Cooper will remain the top option for targets moving forward. Cooper should still post some startable weeks, but it is very difficult to trust him as a WR2 moving forward.
Week 8 at Philadelphia Eagles
Amari Cooper looked like a rock-solid WR1 while Dak Prescott was throwing him passes, but much has changed with Prescott going down for the season, and now his backup Andy Dalton has to work his way back from a concussion suffered in Week 7. Cooper has still managed to catch 14 balls and post 159 receiving yards the last two weeks, but he is not receiving the same massive target share he got from Prescott and his touchdown upside has been reduced dramatically. Cooper's large role in the Dallas passing game makes him worthy of starting as an every-week WR2, but he will carry more risk than ever this week against the Eagles with rookie Ben DiNuccci under center.
Week 7 at Washington Football Team
Amari Cooper fought through Andy Dalton's performance on Monday night to finish with seven catches on 10 targets for 79 yards. The heavy volume from Dalton was good to see for Cooper's fantasy prospects as he was close to the league leaders in targets and receptions with Dak Prescott under center, and volume will be more crucial for him than ever before with the downgrade at quarterback. Cooper's prominent role in the offense makes him worthy of starting every week, but his ceiling will be capped with Dalton under center. Still, Cooper has been among the most consistent players in fantasy this season and is still worthy of WR2 treatment, including in Week 7 against Washington.
Week 6 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Amari Cooper was off to a strong start to the 2020 season but that could be derailed by Dak Prescott's season-ending injury. Andy Dalton will take over under center and it is hard to project exactly how he will distribute targets to the abundance of weapons in his arsenal. Cooper is among the league leaders in targets and receptions through five weeks, but there is no guarantee that will continue with a new quarterback under center. Even so, Cooper should remain a key part of the Dallas offense and is talented enough to shake off a slight reduction in volume or efficiency to retain fantasy value. A Week 6 matchup with the Cardinals is not concerning, so start Cooper as a high-end WR2 while we see how targets shake out in Dallas.
