Who Should I Start? Keenan Allen or Brandin Cooks

Friday, November 14, 5:47 PM

Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen enters Week 11 as the franchise's all-time receptions leader, but his fantasy production remains concerning. Allen has caught four or fewer passes in his last three games, with only 15 targets during that span and just one red-zone target. Although he faces a vulnerable Jacksonville Jaguars secondary that has struggled to defend big plays, his significantly reduced snap share and route rate limit the volume he needs to succeed for fantasy managers. While he might have a favorable individual matchup against Jaguars cornerback Montaric Brown, who is allowing a 13.5-yard average depth of target (ADOT), the overall decrease in usage downgrades him to a high-end WR4/FLEX option. Setting expectations accordingly is wise, as he is no longer the volume-dependent starter he was earlier in the season.

Saturday, November 8, 10:23 AM

New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks will take on an increased workload after Rashid Shaheed was traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Cooks is expected to operate as the Saints' No. 2 receiver behind Chris Olave for the rest of the season, starting with Sunday's Week 10 contest against the Carolina Panthers. The veteran is likely second or third in the pecking order for targets, working behind Olave and perhaps tight end Juwan Johnson, too. While New Orleans' offense has struggled this season, they've also been playing from behind in most of their games, creating additional volume for the passing game, led by Tyler Shough. An uptick in targets could be enough to generate low-end WR3/flex appeal for Cooks in deeper leagues. He's a solid speculative stash in deep formats, while managers in leagues with 12 or fewer teams can keep an eye on him.