One of the biggest disappointments of the fantasy season has been Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper. He started off the season great with 12 points in standard leagues and he was finally being targeted in the red zone, which is something fantasy owners have waited for since he entered the league.
Since that game, Cooper has put together a string of bad games, totaling eight receptions for 56 yards and no touchdowns. Now the question remains, what should owners do with Amari Cooper?
Keeping Amari Cooper may be the move at this point in the season. With Derek Carr out for an extended amount of time, Cooper has to work with EJ Manuel at quarterback. It seems to this point that Manuel has developed a better connection with Michael Crabtree.
Cooper has been plagued by drops this season, and if Manuel doesn’t trust him as much as Jared Cook or Crabtree, he won’t look his way as much. After reading that, you may be wondering why I’m saying you should keep Cooper. Here’s why.
When Carr is back in action, he will have something to prove. The Raiders are 2-3 and are trailing the Chiefs by three games in the AFC West. They have the talent to fight for a wild-card spot and will have to utilize Cooper late in the season during fantasy playoffs. Jack Del Rio has also said he wants Cooper to get the ball more.
According to Del Rio, he saw Cooper get open five times in that game and he wants the ball in Cooper’s hands more often. Now if the Raiders want him to be more involved and Derek Carr is coming back soon then hold onto cooper and reap the potential rewards.
Photo from https://athlonsports.com
I highly advise against dropping Amari Cooper in all leagues. Yes, I know he isn’t performing and there are players who are on waivers playing better than him, but he’s too good to drop. He’s got way too much talent and potential, so dropping him shouldn’t be an option for anyone. Trading him is a different story.
If you drafted cooper as your WR1, then it’s been a tough year. But there are a lot of players you can package with him if you’re looking to upgrade. Now that Odell Beckham and Brandon Marshall are both hurt, some people are probably looking to get some known names to replace them. Packaging Cooper with a high end RB2 can get that stud RB/WR that your team is looking for.
Now I’m not sure of the state of everyone’s fantasy teams, but if I had Cooper, I’d hold onto him with the hope of a bounce-back second half of the year.
Feature Image by Greg Trott/Associated Press
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