Who Should I Start? Jerry Jeudy or Brady Cook

Saturday, December 20, 6:47 AM

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy may be the team's WR1, but he has fallen behind rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. in targets, receptions, and yards for the season; a trend that is unlikely to reverse in Week 16 against the Buffalo Bills. Despite playing 96% of the team's snaps and running a route on all 42 drop-backs in Week 15 against the Chicago Bears, Jeudy managed to haul in just two of his four targets for 22 yards. The veteran wide receiver has failed to gain rapport with rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who prefers to target fellow rookie tight end Fannin Jr. However, the Bills routinely limit opposing tight ends to single-digit fantasy points and are the hardest matchup for that position in the league, which may benefit Jeudy in Week 16. Jeudy still offers big-play upside, and Sanders should have additional time in the pocket this week to take deep shots, which gives him modest upside against the Bills at home this week. Jeudy is a high-risk, low-end WR3 option for deep league fantasy managers and is difficult to trust in Week 16.

Saturday, December 20, 10:12 AM

New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook will get another chance to prove he's the solution under center in this Sunday's road matchup with the New Orleans Saints. Cook took the field for his first start in Week 15's 48-20 loss to the Jaguars. While the outcome and stat line aren't anything to write home about, the 24-year-old showed at least a little capability in moving the offense, leaving a trace of hope that New York's skill players may still hold a bit of fantasy value down the stretch. New Orleans' defense has, on paper, been decent against quarterbacks, allowing the sixth-fewest passing yards per game (180.6). However, some of that might be in part to a front seven that's vulnerable to the rush (130.6 YPG [seventh-most]). If the rookie can contribute on the ground weekly, he may boast some streaming appeal in superflex formats over the season's final few weeks. That said, fantasy managers will want to look elsewhere for another game as he continues to grow accustomed to life in the NFL. Cook is RotoBaller's QB29 for Week 16's outing.