Fantasy Football: Brandin Cooks is flying under the radar
By Jakob Ashlin
After a strong 2020 season, Houston Texans wide receiver Brandin Cooks is flying under the radar in fantasy football drafts.
Due to the Houston Texans’ uncertainty at the quarterback position, wide receiver Brandin Cooks has seen his fantasy football stock drop. He currently has an ADP of 108, which makes him the 43rd wide receiver coming off the board in fantasy drafts. Let’s take a look at why Cooks will outperform his ADP.
Brandin Cooks is flying under the radar
Cooks quietly had a strong debut season with the Texans posting 81 receptions for 1,150 yards and six touchdowns in 15 games. As a result, he finished 17th among wide receivers in fantasy points in PPR leagues.
In fact, if we extrapolate Cooks’ 15-game fantasy point average of 15.5 points and apply that to a 16th game, Cooks would have tied A.J. Brown to be the 12th-highest scoring fantasy wide receiver last season.
So, why is Cooks’ ADP so low right now? Well, the primary concern is the Texans’ quarterback situation. At this point, it seems highly unlikely that Deshaun Watson will start anytime soon. Therefore, veteran Tyrod Taylor will likely be the starting quarterback.
However, that should not prevent Cooks from being a fantasy asset. Taylor has proven himself to be a solid, reliable NFL quarterback over the years. Taylor and Cooks seem to be building good chemistry, as well. Last week, Taylor said the following about Cooks after practice:
"“He’s a very smart, talented man. He’s played a lot of football. We see things the same way a lot, but just continue to keep picking his brain and continue to keep building chemistry with him.”"
More importantly, Cooks will face virtually no competition for targets. Will Fuller V signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. Randall Cobb was traded to the Packers, and Keke Coutee was recently released. Out of Houston’s seven-most targeted players last season, only Cooks, Jordan Akins, and David Johnson remain. Cooks was targeted 119 times last season, and that number could potentially rise even higher this season.
Cooks is undoubtedly the number one wide receiver in Houston. Since his ADP is 43rd among wide receivers, Cooks is being drafted behind many team’s number two wide receivers. His projected target share gives him a much higher floor and ceiling than the other wide receivers in his range. He is an excellent WR3 with WR2 potential.