Should I Start Omar Cooper Jr.?

Sunday, May 31, 8:49 AM

When the New York Jets traded back into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr. with the 30th overall pick, they landed a versatile wide receiver with some of the best tackle-breaking ability in the class. While Cooper no doubt has the talents to make an immediate impact on an NFL field, dynasty managers spending a later first-round rookie pick on him may need to exercise patience to see that impact consistently translate to fantasy success. While New York's offense is trending in the right direction, the operation will be run in 2026 by a soon-to-be-35-year-old Geno Smith, whose 34.1 QBR in 2025 ranked 31st out of all qualified starting quarterbacks. After missing 10 games with a knee sprain, Garrett Wilson and his career 9.1 targets per game are expected back and healthy, and with the Jets spending the 16th pick of the draft on tight end Kenyon Sadiq, Cooper faces direct competition for the short-area, middle-of-the-field looks that made him so valuable to Indiana's National Title-winning offense. Cooper has fantasy-friendly tools and could eventually be used as the Jets' version of a Deebo Samuel Sr. or Rashee Rice, but as RotoBaller's rookie WR5, he projects as more of a long-term investment than the players going ahead of him in rookie drafts.