Brandin Cooks

All things considered, 2021 might've been the most impressive of Cooks' six 1,000-yard seasons. He barely got there, even with a career-high 134 targets, but it's hard to blame him given that he caught passes from Davis Mills and Tyrod Taylor in an offense with no other proven weapons. Prior to last year, Cooks had played with Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Jared Goff and Deshaun Watson, landing in the range of 114-129 targets five times in six years. He was slightly above that last season, missing only one game and ultimately accounting for 28.6 percent of Houston's receiving yards. Cooks exited Week 18 with a knee injury, but there's been no report of surgery amidst a fairly quiet offseason for the Texans. The team moved Watson for a haul of draft picks, with hopes for 2022 mostly relying on internal development and whatever the rookie class can provide. It's a situation that makes Cooks the far-and-away No. 1 receiver, again, though he'd ideally be a high-end No. 2 on a better team. And while the Texans are unlikely to be good this season, Mills showed enough in 2021 to create some hope for a competent passing game under new OC Pep Hamilton. Cooks turns 29 in September, and he doesn't seem to have lost much of his 4.33 speed as he enters Year 9 in the NFL.

Aside from an injury-plagued 2019, Cooks has eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards every season since 2015 despite playing for four teams over that span. Moreover, Cooks has also been one of the league’s most efficient receivers, and last year was no exception — 14.2 YPC (10th), 9.7 YPT (5th). At 5-10, 183, Cooks is small, lightning quick and very fast — he ran a 4.33 40 at the 2014 Combine. His 20 20-yard receptions tied him for fifth in the league, and he had three catches of 40-plus yards. Cooks has never been much of a red-zone threat, so his six touchdowns from a year ago are about as much as one can expect. At 27, Cooks is still a skilled receiver in his late prime, and he’s actually been durable, missing only three games in the last six seasons, though two of those misses were due to concussions. With wideout Will Fuller now in Miami, Cooks should be the top target in Houston, slated for good volume. The Texans drafted 6-4 WR Nico Collins in the third round, but there aren’t a lot of good options behind Cooks. The biggest concern is who will be throwing him those targets, as quarterback Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston and could also be facing discipline from the league due to sexual assault allegations. Should Watson depart, his replacement, Tyrod Taylor, is a significant downgrade.

Cooks leads the league in two categories the last few years: concussions and getting traded. At least the latter category is not all negative, for while teams always seem willing to part with him, there's another that's willing to give up something of value to acquire him. In this case it was the Texans who gave up a second-rounder for a fourth-rounder and took on $8 million of Cooks' salary, meaning he should be a prominent part of their plans. The issue is they already have two deep threats in Kenny Stills and Will Fuller, plus a newly signed slot receiver in Randall Cobb. At 5-10, 183, Cooks is small and slight, but very fast - 4.33 40 - and also quick. He can line up in the slot or as an outside deep threat and had put up four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before last year's concussion-plagued campaign. Cooks is still only 26, so he probably hasn't lost anything physically, and Deshaun Watson is yet another star quarterback with whom he's now paired. Should Cooks remain healthy, he'll still need to compete for targets, but Fuller has been so injury prone himself, and Cobb hardly the paragon of durability, that Cooks should get his chances. And it's possible a healthy Cooks is the best receiver of the bunch.

Despite playing with three different quarterbacks in three different systems over the last three years, Cooks' numbers have been remarkably consistent. Of course, it helps when those quarterbacks are Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Jared Goff (by way of Sean McVay). From 2016-18, Cooks averaged between 9.5 and 10.3 YPT, 15.0 and 16.6 YPC and ranged between 114 and 117 targets, 65 and 80 catches, 1,082 and 1,204 yards and five and eight touchdowns. He's been the moderate-volume, stretch-the-defense option no matter where he's played. At 5-10, 183, and running a scorching 4.33 40 at the 2014 combine, Cooks is small but extremely quick. He's got good hands (only one drop all year) and runs solid routes, routinely making big plays - 17 catches of 40-plus over the last three years, 22 catches of 20-plus last year (T-5th) on 117 targets (17th). Cooks saw an uptick in red-zone work with the Rams - 17 targets inside the 20 and eight inside the 10 - but converted only four for scores. Cooks' situation this year appears largely the same. Robert Woods is still around to garner the short and intermediate throws, the Rams should have Cooper Kupp for a full season off an ACL tear, and we expect the team will throw to its backs, both Todd Gurley (if healthy) and rookie Darrell Henderson.

By some metrics Cooks had a fantastic season, but from a fantasy perspective it was underwhelming. Cooks managed 9.5 YPT (4th), 16.6 YPC (4th) and seven catches of 40-plus yards (T-2nd). But the robust per-play production was outweighed by the modest volume - his 114 targets were tied for 17th. It's hard to see a major uptick in usage this year after Cooks was traded to the Rams. While Sean McVay's scheme is among the league's best, Cooks will compete with Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, both of whom know the system and spent the last year building a rapport with third-year QB Jared Goff. Moreover, the offense runs primarily through all-world back Todd Gurley, who also contributes significantly in the passing game. At 5-10, 189, Cooks is small but extremely quick, and he ran a blistering 4.33 40 at the 2014 combine. As such, he'll serve as Goff's deep threat, a role to which the departed Sammy Watkins never seemed to take. Just don't expect much red-zone work - Cooks saw only 12 targets in that area last year and doesn't have the frame to catch contested passes. He suffered a nasty concussion during the Super Bowl but was healthy for the start of the offseason program. The Rams apparently aren't too concerned, as they signed Cooks to a five-year, $80 million extension in July.

It's not often a 23-year-old rising star receiver is shipped out of town, but then again the Saints benched their best running back in favor of Tim Hightower's carcass for a couple games last year. In any event, the Patriots were happy to oblige, offering a first round pick and change for Cooks. While the New England passing game has a lot of mouths to feed -- all-world TE Rob Gronkowski is due back, plus Chris Hogan, James White, Dion Lewis and Malcolm Mitchell should all be involved -- Cook's elite quickness and game-breaking speed (4.33 40) are great fits for Tom Brady's quick-throw, short-passing game. An ACL injury that PPR-maven Julian Edelman suffered in late August could lead to an uptick in Cooks' volume. Think peak Wes Welker, but much faster. At 5-10, 189, Cooks is small, but the Patriots have gotten touchdowns for players like Welker and Edelman in the past by running quick slants in front of defenders near the goal line rather than fades over top. Cooks also provides the Patriots with a field stretcher, something the team had lacked in recent seasons. Last year with Drew Brees, Cooks had his most efficient season (15.0 YPC, 6th, 10.0 YPT, 3rd), and while his target depth could change in New England, he's hardly downgrading by switching to Brady. Volume is the only question, but if Cooks is as well suited to the Pats as he seems, we imagine Brady and Bill Belichick will make sure to call his number, incumbents be damned.

After a slow start, Cooks broke out in Year 2, making plays all over the field and scoring nine times. At 5-10, 189, Cooks is small, quick, elusive and blazingly fast (4.33 40). He is dangerous running after the catch on short balls, and he can beat defenses deep — five catches of at least 40 yards (T-14th ) on 129 targets (17th). Cooks was also efficient during his second season — his 8.8 YPT ranked 10th. Cooks heads into the season as the team's undisputed No. 1 receiver, but he will never be an elite fantasy option without seeing significantly more targets, especially in the red zone (only 10 last year, two from inside the 10). He profiles more as T.Y. Hilton than Antonio Brown, though Cooks won't turn 23 until December, so there is still room for growth. The Saints are also thinner than ever at wide receiver — only Willie Snead and possibly second-round pick Michael Thomas loom as competition. But coach Sean Payton and quarterback Drew Brees make prolific use of their running backs in the passing game, and the team added Coby Fleener to replace the departed Ben Watson at tight end.

If there's one player who can challenge Jordan Matthews for the title of Most Obvious Breakout Receiver Candidate it's probably Cooks. With Jimmy Graham in Seattle and Kenny Stills in Miami, Cooks is the likely top target in Sean Payton's high-volume passing attack this year. While 32-year-old Marques Colston is still around, his role has diminished for consecutive years, and he rarely saw No. 1 volume even at his peak. At 5-10, 189, Cooks makes up for in speed (4.33 40), burst and elusiveness what he lacks in size. He can catch a short pass and take it the distance, or he can get behind a defense and catch the long ball. Last year, Cooks' season was cut short by a thumb injury, so the sample on him (69 targets, 8.0 YPT) is small. Cooks isn't likely to see much red-zone work — only seven targets there last year — though with Graham gone someone has to absorb those looks, and Payton featured the diminutive Lance Moore in that area a few years ago.

The Saints traded up to No. 20 to take Cooks, and he could have a significant role right away. That’s because both of the team’s quick, short-pass-catching options – Darren Sproles and Lance Moore – have left via free agency, and Cooks appears likely to fill the void. Like Moore and Sproles, Cooks is small (5-10, 189), and he’s also very fast – his 4.33 40 was tops at the NFL Combine for receivers. While he won’t see much red-zone work, and it’s unlikely he’ll absorb the entirety of the 140 targets his predecessors saw last year, Cooks should see a decent portion of them if he can overcome the typically steep rookie learning curve.