Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Sterling Shepard

Tuesday, October 13, 8:15 AM

San Francisco 49ers veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. (hamstring) suffered a significant hamstring strain in the third quarter of Sunday's Week 5 win over the division-rival Seattle Seahawks and will miss "some time." It points to a bigger role for veteran Brandin Cooks, who played almost every snap after Samuel led, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. The 33-year-old Cooks caught one of his two targets for a seven-yard touchdown after not catching his only target in the Week 4 win over the Denver Broncos in his debut with the 49ers. Ricky Pearsall (knee) is out for the season, and De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle), Demarcus Robinson (ankle), and Christian Kirk (calf) all remain on Injured Reserve, so the 49ers' receiving corps is among the most banged-up units around the league. Veteran Mike Evans continues to battle injuries as well, so Cooks should become a much bigger part of the team's passing attack now that Samuel will also miss a couple of weeks. Cooks has six career 1,000-yard receiving seasons and caught 24 passes for 279 yards and no touchdowns in 15 games last year with the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo Bills. He is not currently rostered in any Yahoo leagues, but Cooks is worth a look for WR depth in deeper formats with his role set to grow, starting in Week 6 on Monday night versus the Washington Commanders.