Brandin Cooks and Will Fuller are both being selected outside W3 territory, going off the board as the WR39 and WR40, respectively, according to Fleaflicker’s ADP. In this showdown, let’s discuss the case for both WRs in fantasy football.
The case for Brandin Cooks over Will Fuller
Many question Cooks’ ability to thrive in a Houston Texans’ passing offense without quarterback Deshaun Watson. But this shouldn’t be a concern. Cooks is one of five active receivers to exceed 1,000 receiving yards in at least five seasons since 2015. He’s caught passes from Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Jared Goff, and Watson.
Cooks has played in 103 active games and has averaged 7 targets, 4.7 receptions, 66.7 receiving yards, and 88 receiving air yards per game since 2014. And now, he’s in a position to finish 2021 as the most targeted Texans’ receiver.
Houston has 242 targets and 2,195 receiving air yards available this season. Fuller and Randall Cobb are no longer in Houston. Thus, Cooks has minimal competition for targets at wide receiver.
Lack of competition for targets
Anthony Miller is dealing with a shoulder injury. He also dealt with shoulder injuries and surgeries during his three-year stint with the Bears. Miller only finished a season with 500+ yards once in his career.
Keke Coutee is also unreliable. He’s been inactive in 25 games over the last three seasons. However, Coutee did set career highs in receptions (33), receiving yards (400), and touchdowns (3) in just eight games last season. He’s competing against rookie Nico Collins.
A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Collins only appeared in 29 games at Michigan, with 22 starts from 2017 to 2019. He had 78 receptions for 1,388 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in his career.
Houston averaged 34.1 pass attempts (23rd) and 21.5 (31st) rush attempts per game last season. Due to the Texans’ dysfunctional running game last season, this trend is likely to continue in 2021 under new head coach David Culley.
Culley decided to keep Tim Kelly as the offensive coordinator while hiring former NFL head coach Lovie Smith to be the new defensive coordinator. The continuity with Kelly is good for Cooks and the entire Texans’ offense heading into 2021, no matter who is under center.
Cooks has shown the ability to transcend mediocre quarterback play throughout his career. He’s in a prime position to add another 1,000-yard season to his NFL résumé.
Why you should draft Will Fuller in 2021 fantasy football leagues
This offseason, the Miami Dolphins made substantial additions to their offense to position Tua Tagovailoa for a breakout Year 2. Former Texans WR Will Fuller was one of those additions during free agency.
Fuller has battled injuries for most of his career and is currently dealing with a lower-body injury. However, the Miami Herald reported that the Dolphins expect Fuller to be healthy for the start of the season. It’s concerning that he’s been absent for a lot of this year’s training camp. This is suboptimal for a player trying to get acclimated to a new quarterback and offensive scheme.
The 27-year-old receiver still has one game to serve from his 2020 suspension. Since 2016, Fuller has played in 53 games, catching 209 of 333 targets for 3,110 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.
Fuller’s career took off catching passes from Watson. From 2018 to 2020, he averaged 6.6 targets, 4.62 receptions, 71 receiving yards, and 0.5 receiving touchdowns per game. At the same time, Watson averaged 281.3 passing yards per game in 33 career games with Fuller.
Could the veteran receiver have this kind of effect on Tagovailoa? It’s possible, but he has competition for targets.
Serious competition for targets in 2021
In addition to Fuller, the Dolphins have two other viable receivers on the roster. DeVante Parker has amassed 231 targets in 30 games over the last two seasons. He’s finished as a WR2+ in 66% of his 30 active games over that time frame.
The Dolphins also selected Jaylen Waddle in the first round of this year’s draft. Waddle only played 242 snaps in six games last season at the University of Alabama. He caught 28 of 32 targets for 591 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. Furthermore, he averaged 19 yards per reception for his collegiate career, second on Alabama’s all-time list (minimum of 100 receptions).
Fuller, Parker, and Waddle are all projected for 100+ targets this season. As a result, the Dolphins will lean heavily on Tagovailoa and the passing game in 2021.