Having a steady number one wide receiver in fantasy football is very important. Especially in a year like this, may people are going to go with a running back in the first two rounds leaving the receivers thin for the rest of your draft. The important thing is having a good number one.
For the past two years that Amari Cooper has been in the league, he’s enjoyed two 1,000 yard seasons and two pro bowls. But he hasn’t put up amazing fantasy numbers during his time in Oakland. Cooper has finished as the number 24 running back and the number 15 ranked receiver. Given his talent and his connection with Derek Carr, those rankings should be much higher, so why isn’t Amari Cooper a better fantasy receiver?
Red zone struggles and drops- The biggest disappointment of Coopers season last year were his drops. He ranked in the bottom ten of the league with 20 drops, including two drops on four targets against the Lions and nine drops over the last six weeks. As for red zone struggles, Cooper saw three less red zone targets than teammate Seth Roberts. Yes, you read that right. Only eleven targets for a wide receiver with the talent that Cooper has is just unacceptable for fantasy reasons. The good sign about him though is how efficient he was on his eleven targets, converting five of them into touchdowns.
Talent on the roster- Amari Cooper is in an unfortunate position in Oakland being surrounded by Michaal Crabtree and Marshawn Lynch. The leading receiver in terms of targets in the redzone last year wasn’t Amari Cooper, it was Michale Crabtree. Now with Marshawn Lynch in the mix, Cooper’s touchdown number may take a hit another year. Along with Marshawn Lynch and Michale Crabtree, the Raiders acquired tight end Jared Cook, which is just another person who can take targets away from Amari Cooper. Yes I understand that michael Crabtree did have 83 receptions and over 1,00 yards last season but Michael Crabtree saw more volume and touchdowns in Oakland last season. But don’t get me wrong, I think there’s tons of upside that comes with Cooper.
Derek Carr connection- AC/DC is back at it for another season. Cooper has been Derek Carr’s number one target for the past two seasons and that bond seems to have only gotten stringer over the offseason. Derek Carr had stated on numerous occasions that he wants to get the ball into Coopers hands more this season and they’ve been working especially on the deep ball which showed in the last preseason game when Cooper hauled in a 31 yard pass in triple coverage.
High powered offense- The good thing about Cooper being on the Raiders is the high powered offense in Oakland. The Raiders have the ability to put up 40 points on any defense in the NFL and can do so on a weekly basis. Cooper can see a higher volume of targets this season as the run game evolves and the Raiders have to rely less and less on the passing game. There is a lot of opportunity for players on the raiders to score touchdowns and being that Cooper is the number one receiver he has the ability and opportunity for another 1,000 yard season and 7-10 touchdowns.
Some people may disagree that Cooper is a viable number one receiver in fantasy but believe it this year, Amari Cooper is a number one receiver and may just be in the top ten this season.
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