Week 11 at Atlanta Falcons
Amari Cooper's Cowboys career is off to a good start. The trade definitely raised his fantasy value as he has been targeted 18 times in two games and that has produced 11 catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. The numbers aren't going to thrust Cooper into a WR1 role each week, but he definitely has become the main focus in the Dallas passing game.
Cooper will face the Falcons who are 30th in aFPA to wide receivers. But even with the great matchup, we are cautious with where he ranks because we want to see if the Dallas passing game can be consistent. Start him Week 11 but only as a low-end WR2.
Week 10 at Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys made sure they got Amari Cooper involved with the offense early and it paid off. He caught five passes total for 58 yards and a touchdown for a solid outing. Cooper is definitely the most talented wide receiver on the roster, and in this game, he was targeted 8 times, the most on the night for Dallas
Cooper will face the Eagles in Week 10. Philly is ranked 25th in aFPA to wide receivers. The issue moving forward is quarterback play. Cooper should be in your starting lineup but only as a WR3 or flex. Still questions for the Dallas passing game.
Week 9 vs. Tennessee Titans
Amari Cooper will make his Dallas debut this Monday night at Jerry World. The former Raider's numbers have fallen off since 2016 but there is a reason to be optimistic. First, he is leaving a chaotic situation in Oakland although some might see Dallas has similar issues. Second, he has shown signs of being the receiver who posted back-to-back 1,000 receiving yard seasons his first two years in the league. Cooper has two 100-receiving-yard games this season. In the other four games, he has combined four catches for 36 yards.
Cooper will face a Titans defense that is ranked 29th in aFPA to wide receivers. Even with the potential to give the Cowboys a legit No. 1 receiver and the positive matchup, we are cautious with Cooper in the fantasy rankings at his position for Week 9. Keep him on the bench and let's see how he fits into the Cowboys offense before we count on him to increase his fantasy value.
Week 6 vs. Seattle Seahawks (London)
Will the real Amari Cooper please stand up? Cooper has either been awesome or fantasy garbage. It's an even week though, and maybe Cooper will get the ball thrown to him again. Seattle is only 27th in aFPA to WRs; therefore, it would make sense for Derek Carr to pass him the ball. With his usage being a frustrating, weekly guessing game, it's hard to keep Cooper in lineups as anything more than a deep league FLEX, as it is impossible to know if he'll put up a decent week or one where he barely gets the ball thrown his way.
Week 5 at Los Angeles Chargers
This game has the second-highest over/under of Sunday and Monday's games, but which Amari Cooper will show up this week? Flip a coin. Every other week he's been great. Every other week he's been gross. On paper, the Chargers rank just 30th in aFPA to WRs. In his last three games against the Chargers, Cooper has posted one great game and two terrible games. Such is life as an Amari Cooper fantasy owner. Because of his inconsistencies, we have to tread lightly and consider him as a FLEX in Week 5.
Week 4 vs. Cleveland Browns
Oh, Amari. How you drive us crazy. Amari Cooper owners statistically have less hair. Look at the scalp of Cooper owners and you will see the historic remains of a once great society of hair. He had 17 yards last week. 17! Going back to the start of the 2016 season, this is now 22-of-35 weeks where Cooper has failed to reach the thresholds for top-24 PPR production. This week Cooper and the Raiders face Cleveland, who ranks fourth in aFPA to WRs. Cooper should be considered nothing more than an extremely risky flex play at this point.
Week 3 at Miami Dolphins
The Raiders have the dreaded cross-country, early eastern time zone kickoff Sunday in Miami. Las Vegas has taken note, too, as the Raiders have a low 20.5-point implied team total. Jon Gruden made good on wanting to get the ball to Amari Cooper more after he was only targeted three times in Week 1, as Cooper was targeted 10 times last week. While he caught all 10 of his targets, that cannot be expected every week, but it's certainly promising. Beware though, as the Dolphins are sixth in PPR points allowed to WRs. Cooper had 4-58 on nine targets last year against Miami. Given the tough matchup, consider Cooper a low-end WR2 in Week 3.
Week 2 at Denver Broncos
Three targets. One catch. That was Amari Cooper's Week 1 stat line. He was never worth his WR16 ADP. In 2017, a WR needed to average 12.5 points to be a top-24 PPR WR. In 2016, it was 12.5 PPR points. Going back to the start of the 2016 season, this is now 21-of-33 weeks where Cooper has failed to reach those thresholds for top-24 PPR production. Now, he faces Denver on the road in Week 2, a team he's failed to reach 60 yards against in each of his last four games, with a combined 18 yards in the last two. Seriously consider benching him (or trading him) in Week 2.
Week 1 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Welcome back to the Jon Gruden era, where the Raiders will start with a bottom-half implied team total in Vegas for Week 1. Amari Cooper will face a stingy defense that added Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib at corner to a defense that was already above average in aFPA to WRs last season before those big-name additions. Cooper's massive inconsistencies last season and a tough matchup make him nothing more than a FLEX consideration for Week 1.
Fantasy Upside
Amari Cooper has two 1,000-yard seasons in the NFL, and he was only 23 last season. You can count on your fingers the number of players in NFL history with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons before they turned 24.
Fantasy Downside
Despite Cooper's solid first two seasons in overall numbers, he has been bad more weeks than he's been good in his career, causing redraft league inconsistency. He's also added weight this season, which is usually not a great sign for receivers who already have had recent issues with getting open.
2018 Bottom Line
Which Amari Cooper do you think you are going to get? If it's the one who's more consistent each week that would be a first in his career. At his current ADP in the late third-to-early-fourth, you're paying for closer to his ceiling than his floor.
