Who Should I Start? Amari Cooper or Deebo Samuel

Friday, December 20, 4:02 PM

It's safe to call Buffalo Bills Amari Cooper (wrist) a risky fantasy football option in the team's matchup against the New England Patriots. The veteran earned 14 targets in a shootout versus Los Angeles two weeks ago. He followed that up with zero targets against Detroit (another shootout). Rookie Keon Coleman returned to the lineup last week and created a crowded wide receiver room. Cooper's been a part-time player since his arrival in upstate New York, often playing fewer snaps than Khalil Shakir, Coleman, and Mack Hollins. Cooper could also see a lot of star cornerback Christian Gonzalez on Sunday. There are no concerns about his wrist injury, but fantasy managers shouldn't trust Cooper in lineups this weekend.

Friday, December 20, 11:40 PM

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. will bring the least productive five-game stretch of his career into a Week 16 matchup in Miami on Sunday. He is averaging 3.3 half-PPR points over that stretch, including a 3.4-point performance last Thursday at home versus the Los Angeles Rams. Samuel Sr. reached a low point when he dropped an important 3rd-down pass in LA territory to a chorus of boos from the home fans. He'll have better days ahead -- he's certainly a better player than this -- but at this point, Samuel Sr. is untrustable in fantasy. In addition, Miami's tough pass defense has limited fantasy receivers to the second-lowest total in the league. Perhaps Samuel Sr. sees an increase in carries, with the 49ers down to their fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-string running backs due to a deluge of injuries. It might not matter much, though, as he's only averaging 2.7 yards per carry this year with one rushing touchdown, way back in Week 1. He's projected as a WR4 this week, and most Samuel Sr. managers still in the fantasy playoffs probably benched him long ago.