Week 10 vs. Seattle Seahawks
Brandin Cooks caught six-of-eight targets for 114 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 9 loss to the Saints. It was a “revenge” spot for Cooks, who faced one of his former teams in a game that lived up to its high-scoring hype. Cooks snagged a 48-yard pass to help ignite a scoring drive in the first half and opened the second half with a 15-yard catch as well as an additional 15-yarder on a game-tying touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. All in all, the doubts that were expressed at the start of the season about Cooks’ role in Sean McVay’s offense have been quelled. Ranked as our WR 14 for Week 10, view Cooks as a WR2 when the Rams host the Seahawks on Sunday.
Week 9 at New Orleans Saints
Brandin Cooks caught three-of-eight targets for 74 yards in the Rams’ Week 8 win over the Packers. Green Bay rookie corner Jaire Alexander was outstanding, but Cooks still found a way to make an impact. He hasn’t gone over 100 yards since September but he remains a solid WR2. The betting total for Sunday’s game between the Rams and Saints sits at 59.5. That’s a high total for an NFL game, indicating a potential shootout in New Orleans. Ranked as our WR14 for Week 9, keep Cooks in your lineup this week. The Saints own the No. 32-ranked defense against fantasy receivers this season.
Week 8 v. Green Bay Packers
Brandin Cooks caught four-of-five targets for 64 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ Week 7 win over the 49ers. The score came from 19 yards out in the second quarter in which he ran an excellent route to get open. Todd Gurley dominated the 49ers defense in the second half, which put Cooks and the rest of the Rams’ passing game on the back burner. Nevertheless, Cooks was still able to score his second touchdown of the season and is ranked as our WR14 for Week 8. View him as a WR2 for Sunday when the Rams host the Packers.
Week 7 at San Francisco 49ers
Brandin Cooks caught two-of-six targets for 53 yards in the Rams’ Week 6 win over the Broncos. Cooks hauled in a 44-yard pass on the Rams’ third play from scrimmage then turned into a ghost the rest of the afternoon. Of course, with Todd Gurley rushing for over 200 yards, the Rams didn’t need to throw much. Still, Robert Woods saw 10 targets and with Cooper Kupp battling a knee injury throughout the game, one would have expected Cooks to see more targets. Nevertheless, he will be a solid WR2 on Sunday when the Rams travel to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers. Cooks ranks as our WR15 for Week 7.
Week 6 at Denver Broncos
Week 5 at Seattle Seahawks
Brandin Cooks caught seven passes for 116 yards and a touchdown on eight targets while also adding a 10-yard rush in the Rams’ Week 4 victory over the Vikings. His highlight came in the first half when he torched corner Trae Waynes with a 47-yard touchdown reception on a perfect pass from Jared Goff. He also beat stud corner Xavier Rhodes for a 23-yard reception in the fourth quarter. The pre-season questions about whether Cooks would wind up being another version of Sammy Watkins in Sean McVay’s offense look silly now. He’s on the WR1 radar this Sunday when the Rams visit the Seahawks, ranking as our WR9 for Week 5.
Week 4 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Brandin Cooks caught 7-of-8 targets for 90 yards in the Rams’ Week 3 win over the Chargers. Cooks has been held without a touchdown, but Sean McVay continues to use him in creative ways and he clearly is in sync with QB Jared Goff. The preseason concerns about whether the Rams would use him more than they did Sammy Watkins last year have been alleviated. Ranked as our No. 16 WR, Cooks is a bona fide WR2 heading into Thursday night’s matchup against the visiting Vikings.
Week 3 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Brandin Cooks caught 7-of-9 passes for 159 yards in the Rams’ Week 2 win over the Cardinals. As great of a day as it was from a yardage standpoint, it could have been a bigger game for Cooks had Jared Goff not underthrown a potential touchdown pass (Cooks had to work back to the ball instead of catching it in stride). It’s clear through two weeks that Sean McVay and Goff will get Cooks more involved than they did former deep threat Sammy Watkins. Ranked as our No. 15 WR for the Rams’ matchup with the Chargers this Sunday, consider Cooks a solid WR2 option.
Week 2 vs. Arizona Cardinals
Brandin Cooks caught 5-of-8 targets for 87 yards in the Rams’ Week 1 win over the Raiders. Cooks flashed his speed throughout the night, getting behind the defense twice to draw a pair of pass interference calls that set the Rams up in Oakland territory. While Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods each saw one more target apiece, it’s clear that the Rams intended to utilize Cooks’ skill set in their outstanding offense. Ranked as our No. 26 WR for Week 2, Cooks is a solid WR3 for Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals.
Week 1 at Oakland Raiders
The Rams acquired Brandin Cooks from the Patriots this offseason and signed him to a multi-million dollar contract. He’ll replace Sammy Watkins as the Rams’ depth threat in Sean McVay’s passing game. One issue is that McVay’s offense will once again run through Todd Gurley while the targets in the passing game get dispersed between Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp and Todd Gurley. Thus, view Cooks more as a low-end WR2, including in Week 1 when the Rams visit the Raiders on Monday Night Football. Cooks ranks as our No. 24 WR.
