Both Denver Broncos WR Courtland Sutton and Cleveland Browns WR Amari Cooper have provided plenty of success for fantasy football managers this season. But when picking between the two this week, here’s what fantasy managers should consider.
Should You Start Courtland Sutton or Amari Cooper This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Sutton is the player to start. His projected 11.2 points outperform the consensus projection of Cooper’s 10.7 points.
My rankings agree with the consensus because they illustrate two teams trending in opposite directions, with Cooper being much lower.
After a 1-5 start to the season, including a 70-20 loss against the Miami Dolphins, Denver has won their last three games, including victories against the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
Sutton is enjoying a comeback after a few down seasons since finishing as the WR19 back in 2019. He has scored a touchdown in all but two games this season.
Broncos QB Russell Wilson is having a better second season in Denver after a disappointing first year following his trade from the Seattle Seahawks. He prefers to look Sutton’s way as his first read, and he targets the 6’4″ wide receiver in the red zone and downfield.
However, Sutton has yet to surpass 100 yards, but his nose for the end zone has helped him average double-digit fantasy points in all but one game in 2023.
This week, Denver takes on the Minnesota Vikings’ 29th-ranked passing defense in what could be a high-scoring game. Currently, the Vikings are enjoying a five-game winning streak.
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Meanwhile, Cooper is the WR20 for 2023, thanks to his volume and downfield ability — despite being thrown passes from three different QBs this season. Still, his situation in Cleveland could cause fantasy managers to move him down the rankings even further.
Starting QB Deshaun Watson will miss the remainder of the regular season after having surgery on his throwing shoulder. The Browns then announced that they plan to start rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson over P.J. Walker for their Week 11 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Thompson-Robinson already has one start this season, a Week 4 showing against Baltimore, where he threw three interceptions and zero touchdowns. Cooper was targeted six times in that game, but he only caught one pass for 16 yards, finishing the contest with 2.6 fantasy points.
Being a divisional game against the Steelers, I can see Pittsburgh HC Mike Tomlin blitzing Thompson-Robinson all game.
With fantasy playoffs looming soon, deciding between these closely ranked WRs can be tough. Fantasy managers should go with Sutton, as he and his team are trending up, while Cooper and the Browns are trending down.
Looking to make a trade in your fantasy league? Having trouble deciding who to start and who to sit? Setting DFS lineups? Check out PFN’s Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer and DFS Lineup Optimizer to help you make the right decision!