Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Elijah Moore

Saturday, October 11, 12:12 PM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks has recorded 12 catches for 103 yards on 16 targets across five games so far this season. The 32-year-old has served as the team's WR3 alongside Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed, but if Week 5 is any indication, Cooks could be losing playing time. In Week 5, Cooks played just five more offensive snaps than Saints wideout Devaughn Vele after playing 56 more offensive snaps than Vele in Week 4. In Week 6, the Saints will take on the New England Patriots, who rank fifth-worst in yards per pass attempt allowed (8.2) through five games. Still, Cooks appears unlikely to see enough target volume to be fantasy relevant and could be losing playing time altogether in New England. Cooks should remain off the radar of fantasy managers in Week 6.

Saturday, August 23, 11:58 PM

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Elijah Moore earned four targets from quarterback Shane Buechele in a 23-19 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday, but he was unable to do much with them. While Moore did haul in three passes, he totaled just eight yards and will wrap up his preseason with four catches (eight targets) for 13 yards. The former New York Jet and Cleveland Brown joined the Bills on a one-year deal in free agency and is expected to earn a roster spot, but he isn't necessarily a stone-cold lock. Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Joshua Palmer are the only Buffalo receivers who are guaranteed to make the team, leaving Moore grouped with several others (Curtis Samuel, Tyrell Shavers, Kristian Wilkerson, Laviska Shenault Jr., and KJ Hamler among them) fighting for two or three jobs. Except for Samuel (illness), who's also reportedly on the bubble and didn't play Saturday because of an illness, Moore has a more proven track record than the rest of the WRs competing for roles. That could help give him the edge in the competition.