Who Should I Start? Brandin Cooks or Zay Flowers

Friday, March 21, 3:11 PM

Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks has inked a two-year $13 million deal with the New Orleans Saints, per Mike Garafolo -- the 31-year-old returns to the team that drafted him. Cooks was plagued by a knee injury in 2024 -- an MCL sprain that evolved into an infection -- forcing him from seven games. Still, he was the team's clear No. 2 wideout ahead of Jalen Tolbert when healthy. Despite the time missed, he'd score the third-most receiving touchdowns (three) of any Cowboys pass-catcher. Whether or not Cooks will make an impact in fantasy is unclear. However, he provides a valuable second option on the field alongside teammate Chris Olave, with Rashid Shaheed's (knee) status undetermined after a mid-season meniscus injury.

Wednesday, July 30, 3:58 PM

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (knee/leg) did not practice on Wednesday, but head coach John Harbaugh said the Pro Bowl wideout had "camp-like" stuff pop up and will get a day or a few days off. It sounds like Flowers is dealing with a minor ailment, so fantasy managers should not be concerned at this point. In his second NFL season last year, Flowers secured 74 of his 116 targets for 1,059 yards and four touchdowns. The former first-round pick out of Boston College has been excellent to start his NFL career, but high-end WR1 upside for fantasy football is likely out of reach thanks to the Ravens' dominance on the ground. Either way, he's a solid WR2/3 or flex option and has the big-play ability to produce spike weeks. His competition for targets in the wide receiver room remains weak entering 2025.