Week 8 vs. Seattle
Brandin Cooks caught seven passes for 58 yards and a touchdown on nine targets in the Saints Week 7 loss to the Chiefs. His lone score came on a nine-yard pass from Drew Brees in the first quarter, and it was his fourth score of the season and second in as many weeks.
Cooks and the Saints have a tough matchup versus the Seahawks, but New Orleans continues to be explosive at home. The Saints have scored at least 26 points in 10 straight home games and Brees has thrown for at least three touchdown passes in eight straight home starts. Cooks will see plenty of Richard Sherman on Sunday, but remains a solid WR2 in all formats. He ranks as our WR16 for Week 8.
Week 7 at Kansas City Chiefs
Brandin Cooks went off against the Panthers in Week 6, hauling in seven-of-nine targets for 173 yards and an 87-yard touchdown in the Saints 41-38 victory. Cooks and Drew Brees took advantage of a Carolina defense that was so depleted in the secondary that it never went with a nickel back, choosing instead to stay in a 4-3 the entire game. Cooks could have had another big score, but Brees overthrew him after the speedy receiver had gotten by the defense again.
Cooks has a much tougher matching this week against a Chiefs defense that boasts Marcus Peters, but he remains a solid WR2 in a pass-first offense. Cooks ranks as our WR18 for Week 7 so make sure he's in your lineup.
Week 6 vs. Carolina
Brandin Cooks caught three-of-six targets for 31 yards in the Saints Week 4 win over the Chargers. He didn’t catch a pass in the second half and has now been limited to just 44 yards and no touchdowns in his last two games. Owners shouldn’t give up on the speedy receiver, however. He drew perennially underrated corners Desmond Trufant and Jason Verrett in this two games and should have an easier time racking up yards versus Carolina’s leaky secondary. Ranked as our WR17 for Week 6, view Cooks as a solid WR2 for this weekend.
Week 4 at San Diego
Brandin Cooks caught just two-of-eight targets for 13 yards in the Saints' 45-32 loss to the Falcons on Monday night. Despite the combined 77 points scored by both teams, neither Cooks nor Julio Jones (one catch, 17 yards) produced for fantasy owners despite each WR1 seeing a combined 15 targets. While New Orleans game-planned to limit Jones' production, Cooks saw plenty of No. 1 corner Desmond Trufant, who forced Drew Brees to search for other targets in the passing game. Cooks draws another top corner this week in San Diego's Jason Verrett, so view the wideout as a low-end WR1 for Week 4. He ranks as our WR11 overall this week.
Week 3 vs. Atlanta
Brandin Cooks caught seven passes for 69 yards on nine targets in the Saints' Week 2 loss to the Giants. After his 6-143-2 stat line in Week 1 against the Raiders, Cooks somewhat disappointed in what everyone expected to be a high-scoring game in New York last Sunday. Nevertheless, Cooks got going in the second half and remains a solid WR2 moving forward. Over his last 11 games, Cooks has 10 touchdowns and five games with 100-plus yards from scrimmage. He ranks as our WR5 for the Saints' Week 3 tilt with the Falcons on Monday night, making him a must-start.
Week 2 at New York Giants
Brandin Cooks went off for the Saints in Week 1, catching six-of-nine targets for 143 yards and two touchdowns in New Orleans' 35-34 loss. The most encouraging aspect of Cooks' afternoon from a fantasy perspective is that he drew three red zone targets, turning one into a 15-yard touchdown. His other score came on a 98-yard pass in which he ran by cornerback Sean Smith on a perfectly-placed pass from Drew Brees.
Ranked as our WR11 for Week 2, view Cooks as a low-end WR1 against the Giants and their 22nd-ranked pass defense. Given how bad the Saints look on defense, Cooks and Co. will play in plenty of shootouts again this season.
Week 1 vs. Oakland
Brandin Cooks had an excellent sophomore campaign in the NFL, catching 84 of 129 targets for 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns. The Saints added Coby Fleener and rookie receiver Michael Thomas this offseason, but Cooks remains Drew Brees' No. 1 target. Cooks should lead the Saints in targets, catches and receiving yards by season's end. Ranked as our WR16 for Week 1, Cooks is a solid WR2 for Sunday's matchup against the Raiders.
Fantasy Upside
After racking up 550 yards and three touchdowns on 53 catches in just 10 games as a rookie, Brandin Cooks cracked the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his sophomore campaign after turning 129 targets into 84 receptions, 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns. Despite starting the year slowly, Cooks finished as fantasy’s WR12 and gained 13.5 yards per catch after Sean Payton started to unleash him as a vertical threat in the Saints offense. With Drew Brees showing no signs of slowing down, Cooks has plenty of upside heading into his third season.
Fantasy Downside
The Saints signed tight end Coby Fleener and drafted former Ohio State receiver Michael Thomas in the second round. With those additions, it’s difficult to envision Cooks seeing another 129 targets in the Saints offense. With fewer opportunities in the passing game, will Cooks at least match what he achieved a year ago? He’s too talented and too explosive to become a forgotten man in New Orleans, but the additions of Fleener and Thomas should at least give fantasy owner’s pause when considering investing a mid-third round pick in Cooks this year.
2016 Bottom Line
Cooks probably won’t post WR1 numbers, especially with Fleener, Thomas and Willie Snead commanding looks in the Saints offense. Plus, Payton likes to throw to his running backs, so Cooks might not come near the 129 targets he saw a year ago. That said, Cooks is a legitimate WR2 with upside and could be an excellent complement to fantasy owners who find a bona fide WR1 in one of the first two rounds. Just be prepared to draft Cooks early in the third, because his current ADP in 10-team leagues is 3.07 (and 3.03 in 12-teamers).
Week 17 at Atlanta
Brandin Cooks caught 5-of-7 targets for 123 yards and a touchdown while also adding four rushes for 10 additional yards in the Saints' Week 16 win over the Jaguars. Fantasy owners knew Cooks was in store for a big day when he caught a 71-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. The 100-yard day was Cooks' third in four games. The Falcons rank No. 2 versus fantasy receivers this season but Cooks nevertheless is a WR1 for Week 17. He ranks as our WR8 and is a solid play in standard and DFS leagues this Sunday.
Week 16 vs. Jacksonville
Brandin Cooks caught 10-of-13 targets for 124 yards and a touchdown in the Saints Week 15 loss to the Lions. With Detroit jumping out to a 28-3 lead early in the third quarter, New Orleans was forced to throw to get back in the game. That benefited Cooks, who became Drew Brees' go-to receiver in the second half. The second-year wideout did most of his damage in the final two quarters, racking up 85 yards on seven catches. Ranked as our WR17 for Week 16, view Cooks as a WR2 against a Jacksonville defense that ranks 25th against fantasy receivers this season.
