Who Should I Start? Tank Dell or Darius Cooper

Monday, December 29, 3:57 PM

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell (knee) is "making outstanding progress, working extremely hard, and preparing for next season," league sources told Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Sports. Dell tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL in Week 16 last year against the Kansas City Chiefs. There was never a realistic chance that he'd play for Houston in 2025, but if he continues to make progress and avoid setbacks in his rehab, the 26-year-old wideout could be back on the field next year. Dell required multiple surgeries for his knee injury, which initially looked like it might have been career-threatening. He still has a ways to go, though, and it's possible Dell won't ever be the same player he was before the injury. For fantasy purposes, we'll have a clearer picture of whether Dell might be a key contributor to the Texans' offense once training camp begins next summer.

Sunday, January 4, 9:17 AM

Philadelphia Eagles rookie wide receiver Darius Cooper could handle a much larger workload than usual during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Washington Commanders. Head coach Nick Sirianni indicated that he will rest several starters on Sunday, and although he didn't specifically list which players will be resting, it's fair to speculate that wide receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown could be among the group. If so, Cooper would likely step into the No. 2 wide receiver role behind Jahan Dotson. Cooper hasn't ascended higher than third on the depth chart this season, so we don't know exactly what his role would look like if he earns the start opposite Dotson. With that being said, he has flashed potential lately. He caught two passes for 29 yards on a 30% snap share in Week 15, and he caught one pass for four yards on a career-high 31% snap share just last Sunday. There's a strong chance that the 24-year-old rookie plays more than half of the snaps if Brown and Smith are sidelined, and that could give him low-end WR3/flex appeal in very deep leagues. Once the Eagles announce which starters are resting, managers could consider adding Cooper to be a desperation WR3/flex play in fantasy leagues with at least 14 teams.