Fantasy football managers have been left wanting more from Amari Cooper for much of this season and have him squarely in the Flex conversation when active. Will they have the Cleveland Browns‘ top receiver at their disposal in this critical week?
Latest Injury Update on Amari Cooper
Cooper is dealing with a rib injury that has limited him at practice this week. Within the injury reports, “rest” is also mentioned, leading to the thought that this is an injury management situation as much as it is something that needs to heal.
Cooper has missed a total of two games since the beginning of the 2019 season and has largely been a durable WR since entering the league. Does he gut it out for the 7-4 Browns as they attempt to improve their playoff standing?
Will Cooper Play This Week?
All signs seem to point in the right direction for the 29-year-old. This injury was suffered by way of a big hit, and whenever that happens, returning to action and returning to form are two different things. We will see if his usage is tweaked as a result of this physical limitation, but at the moment, things are trending up for Cooper in Week 13.
What Does This Mean for Cooper’s Fantasy Ranking?
Cooper playing for the Browns and playing for your fantasy football team are two different conversations. He’s finished outside of the top 50 wideouts in consecutive games, totaling just 50 yards on 14 targets over that stretch.
The upside is still in his profile (four top 24 finishes this season), but it’s easy to argue that the downside (four finishes outside of the top 60 at the position) combined with the injury more than cancels out the potential we’ve seen at points.
The other moving piece in deciding on Cooper is the kickoff time of his game against the Los Angeles Rams. This game takes place in the second wave of Sunday’s slate, eliminating all early kickoff players from the equation should you pencil in Cooper and wait for his official status.
I have him ranked as a fringe top-40 receiver and someone I’m generally not waiting on. I think he plays, but with a backup QB under center in a game with a low projected point total, the upside simply doesn’t outweigh the paralyzing downside, in my opinion.
In terms of other options that you may have on your bench who play in the first set of games on Sunday, I prefer Jahan Dotson (vs. MIA) and either Pittsburgh Steelers receiver (Diontae Johnson or George Pickens vs. AZ). Cooper has entered the “I need to see it before backing it” tier of receiver, and a compromised version of him is a tough sell in Week 13.
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If Cooper proves to be healthy this week, he will be an interesting option over the next three weeks. He is the clear-cut WR1 option in this offense, and with a little stability under center, he could put together a nice run at the perfect time.
- Week 14 vs. JAX
- Week 15 vs. CHI
- Week 16 at HOU
None of those matchups scare me in terms of pass defenses. Now, it should be noted that the Browns host the Jets in Week 17, making even a healthy version of Cooper an iffy option, but you have to make it to that point in your fantasy season before worrying about it!
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