Fantasy owners shouldn’t overreact to Randall Cobb’s shoulder injury
On August 23 , Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson went down with a non-contact injury. A day later it was confirmed that he had suffered a torn ACL and was out for the season. Prior to Nelson going down with a season-ending injury, Randall Cobb was generally considered a top 10 wide receiver on draft boards.
After Nelson’s injury, Cobb may have moved up a couple of spots considering the extra targets expected to be coming his way.
However, on Saturday night, less than one week after Nelson went down, Cobb suffered an unspecified injury to his shoulder and had to leave the preseason game against the Eagles. An X-ray conducted the next day came back negative and an MRI revealed that Cobb had a sprained AC joint in his shoulder.
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It is still unknown whether Cobb will be ready to go for the Packers’ opener, but at this point Cobb appears to be heading the in the right direction and should be able to play in the team’s Week 1 tilt against the Bears.
For those who have already conducted their drafts, do not panic and trade Cobb. If you trade him now, you are not going to be able to recoup fair value for him. For those who have yet to draft, consider Cobb a top 10 wide receiver. There is no indication that Cobb’s injury will linger, and he is still headed for a big year as the Packers’ clear cut No. 1 receiver.
In 2014, Cobb had his best season as a pro finishing with 91 receptions, 1,287 yards, and 12 touchdowns. He was targeted 127 times by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. By comparison, Nelson was targeted 151 times and finished the season with 98 catches, 1,519 yards, and 13 touchdowns.
With Nelson out for the season, Cobb will see more targets, have more receptions and receiving yards and should have at least another 10 touchdowns as Rodgers’ No. 1 receiver.
Whether in PPR or standard leagues, there are receivers that should be drafted ahead of Cobb. In all formats, he should be drafted no worse than 10th at the wide receiver position. In daily leagues, Cobb will be a consistent performer, though you will want to check his status prior to using him in Week 1 lineups.
Cobb is only 25 years old and plays with the best quarterback in the NFL, and if he can stay healthy, he should continue to pay dividends for fantasy owners for years to come.
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Peter Ringel is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Peter, you can view his archive.
