Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Kadarius Toney

Tuesday, July 2, 4:03 PM

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks didn't make the impact many had hoped for in his first season with the organization. He caught just 54 passes for 657 yards, but his eight touchdowns kept him on the fantasy football radar. The six-time 1,000-yard receiver has now failed to reach 700 yards in two consecutive seasons, but he's reportedly looking like his old self offseason. "The Cowboys were 11-0 in the regular season when Cooks had at least 20 receiving yards and 0-5 when he had fewer than 20," wrote Saad Yousuf of the Athletic. "One of the most underrated players in Dallas, the 31-year-old Cooks still showed his signature speed while blowing past cornerbacks during OTAs." The former Saint, Patriot, Ram, and Texan is being selected outside the top 50 wide receivers in 2024 fantasy drafts, so he could be a steal at cost in the explosive Dallas offense. However, it's tough to ignore the statistical regression in recent seasons.

Friday, July 26, 4:42 PM

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney is getting plenty of repetitions with the team's projected starters early in training camp practices this week. Toney was also seen doing drills with the running backs this week, so the Chiefs clearly haven't given up on his talent despite a disappointing year in 2023. The 25-year-old former first-rounder missed more time due to injury last year, too, playing in only 13 games (two starts). Toney finished with 27 catches (38 targets) for just 169 yards and one touchdown. Rashee Rice is expected to be suspended at some point in 2024, but the additions of rookie first-rounder Xavier Worthy and Marquise Brown figure to make things even more difficult for Toney to find a significant role in the Chiefs' offense. In most leagues, fantasy managers are going to want to see evidence of Toney taking the next step before putting him on their roster.