Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Amari Cooper

Saturday, November 8, 10:23 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks will take on an increased workload after Rashid Shaheed was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Cooks is expected to operate as the Saints' No. 2 receiver behind Chris Olave for the rest of the season, starting with Sunday's Week 10 contest against the Carolina Panthers. The veteran is likely second or third in the pecking order for targets, working behind Olave and perhaps tight end Juwan Johnson, too. While New Orleans' offense has struggled this season, they've also been playing from behind in most of their games, creating additional volume for the passing game, led by Tyler Shough. An uptick in targets could be enough to generate low-end WR3/flex appeal for Cooks in deeper leagues. He's a solid speculative stash in deep formats, while managers in leagues with 12 or fewer teams can keep an eye on him.

Thursday, September 4, 2:14 PM

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper has informed the team that he intends to retire ahead of Week 1, citing a lack of desire to continue playing. Cooper, who joined the Raiders this offseason in hopes of competing for a starting role, was listed behind rookie Dont'e Thornton Jr. on the initial depth chart. The five-time Pro Bowler spent last season with the Browns and Bills, starting 10 of 14 games while recording 44 catches for 547 yards and four touchdowns. Cooper leaves the NFL after a decorated career, finishing with over 10,000 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns across stops with the Raiders, Cowboys, Browns, and Bills. His departure opens additional opportunities for Thornton and fellow rookie Jack Bech to carve out meaningful roles in the Raiders' passing game this season.