Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or George Pickens

Friday, January 16, 11:30 PM

Buffalo Bills veteran wide receiver Brandin Cooks was traded from the New Orleans Saints to Buffalo late in the 2025 season. In his five regular-season games with the Bills, Cooks caught five of 11 targets for 114 yards. The 32-year-old deep threat has seven receptions on 11 targets for 159 yards in the last two games against the Eagles and Jaguars, though. He caught three of five targets for 58 yards in the Wild-Card win over the Jaguars, with most of his yardage coming on a 36-yard pickup. Cooks relies on chunk gains deep down the field, which could be a problem against a solid Denver Broncos' defense in the Divisional Round on Saturday. The Bills will need Cooks to step up, though, with both Gabe Davis (knee) and Tyrell Shavers (knee) out with torn ACLs. Denver's defense gave up the fifth-fewest half-PPR points per game to WRs during the regular season and tied with the Eagles for the fewest TDs allowed at six.

Sunday, February 1, 6:30 AM

There is a "strong belief" that the Dallas Cowboys will utilize the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Pickens had an excellent first season in Dallas, catching 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. All three of those marks were career-highs, as was his finish as the overall WR5 in full-PPR leagues. Pickens surpassed teammate CeeDee Lamb in all of those categories, too, but it's worth noting that the former played three additional games. Nevertheless, Pickens showed that he is absolutely capable of being a superstar No. 1 wide receiver in any NFL offense. As a result, he would fetch an enormous contract in free agency if he makes it that far. Archer speculates that Pickens could make more than Lamb ($34 million per year) in free agency, so the Cowboys will likely use the franchise tag to bring him back on a one-year, $28 million deal. While $62 million is a lot of money tied up to two receivers, a combination of Lamb and Pickens helps give Dallas one of the best offenses in the NFL, especially with quarterback Dak Prescott playing at a high level. Of course, the franchise tag is just a temporary fix, as it would push Pickens' free agency one year down the road. According to Archer, the last time that Dallas signed a franchise-tagged player to a long-term deal before the July extension deadline was 2015 (Dez Bryant).