Brandin Cooks Week 13 Outlook - Cowboys at Ravens

By Mike Tagliere (FantasyPros), Thu, Dec 3rd 2020, 10:31am EST

Going back to the time where Bill O'Brien was fired, Cooks has become an integral part of this offense, averaging 8.14 targets per game, including at least five targets in every game. Outside of the wind/rain game against the Browns, he's totaled at least 60 yards in every one of those games. To know that he's done this while Will Fuller has been a WR1, and that Deshaun Watson has failed to throw the ball 40 times in a game is pretty remarkable. But what changes now that Fuller is out for the year? Do teams double Cooks? Do they bracket him? You'd be surprised at how hard it is to do that with a wide receiver who moves around as much as Cooks, who plays 43 percent of his snaps at RWR, 29 percent at LWR, and 28 percent of his snaps in the slot. The Colts haven't been a matchup to flat out attack with wide receivers, as they've allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to them. However, the good news for Cooks is that they've allowed 14.16 yards per reception, which is the second-highest mark in football. On top of that, their starting safety Khari Willis was injured during their Week 12 game. Meanwhile, Deshaun Watson has completed 21 passes that've gone 20-plus yards down the field, which ranks as the fourth-most in football. It's not a great spot for Cooks to straight up dominate, as there have been just four wide receivers who've totaled more than five receptions against the Colts. Still, you're starting a wide receiver who just might see double-digit targets no matter what, so put him in lineups as a WR2.