Falcons at Saints: 5 best fantasy options
By John Buhler
4. Brandin Cooks
2016 might be the year that New Orleans Saints star wide receiver Brandin Cooks asserts himself as a top-10 receiver in football. He’s become the best offensive weapon Saints quarterback Drew Brees has to work with.
Cooks is adept at making big plays vertically, as well as possession receiving. Depending on if Falcons defensive coordinator Richard Smith has his star cornerback Desmond Trufant track Cooks all night, the Saints wideout might have one of his best games on the season.
Atlanta really only has one elite defensive player in Trufant. The secondary plays hard, but like most of the Falcons defense, is undermanned. If Smith decides to deploy Trufant to strictly one side of the field, Cooks is going to have a field day against the rest of the Falcons secondary.
ESPN.com projects Cooks to have 9.8 fantasy points, while NFL.com has him garnering 16.10. The NFL.com projected point total feels about right for Cooks in this one. He’s looking at a 100-yard receiving game and a convincing touchdown on a lackluster Falcons defense.