Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Luther Burden III

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, October 18, 12:17 PM

Chicago Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III continues to struggle to carve out a consistent role in the offense through five games. Burden has just 11 catches for 150 yards and one touchdown, ranking sixth on the team in targets. Despite preseason buzz and speculation that his role would expand after the Week 5 bye, Burden played only 22% of the snaps in Week 6, while Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Olamide Zaccheaus each logged over 85%. He'll face a Saints secondary that's allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2025. Although the matchup is favorable, Burden's limited playing time keeps him off the fantasy radar in Week 7.