Fantasy Football Player Notes

It's somewhat maddening that Cooper can't get the 150-plus targets that some do, as he's continually one of the most efficient receivers in the league. Did you know Michael Gallup averaged more targets per game than Cooper last year? Cooper's injury may have played into that but it didn't stop him from being one of the best in the league. Based on the number of his targets and where they took place on the field, Cooper should've finished as the No. 23 wide receiver, and not the No. 9 receiver he did. In fact, he was the only receiver in the league who scored 20-plus more fantasy points than he was expected to in both the red zone and outside the red zone. The addition of CeeDee Lamb isn't going to make getting targets any easier for Cooper, who's now seen 195 targets in 25 games with the Cowboys. Because he's not getting the gaudy numbers that some are, Cooper should be considered a semi-volatile WR2 in fantasy who has more WR1 upside than most on a weekly basis. If Cooper were to get 150 targets, I have zero doubts that he'd finish as a top-three receiver, but as we've seen, that just doesn't happen.

It's funny how I've become someone who's viewed as a "Gallup hater" in some circles. Let it be known that Gallup was one of my favorite receiver prospects in the 2018 draft class. But guys, he's not better than Amari Cooper. It's clear that Gallup benefits from Cooper's presence in the lineup and has fit into his field-stretching role rather nicely. Now, the question becomes: How much does CeeDee Lamb affect Gallup's target share? When Lamb was first drafted, I was concerned, but after sitting down and going through projections, I was still able to find 100-105 targets for him in the offense, which should net him a WR3 finish in fantasy. There are some risks taking him inside the top-30 because you're taking on some of the risk that Lamb doesn't eat into his target share a bit more, though it's a smaller risk knowing we've had a shortened offseason with no preseason action. I have Gallup as a back-end WR3 in fantasy with upside for a bit more if Lamb takes time to develop, which is not out of question. If Cooper missed time, Gallup would be my favorite receiver in the offense and a high-end WR2 start most weeks.

When the Cowboys drafted Lamb at No. 17 overall, I wondered if he'd immediately take over Michael Gallup's No. 2 role in the offense, but cooler heads prevailed. Lamb is coming from the Big-12 where the defenses are pretty horrendous, so the learning curve might be bigger than some expect. On top of that, he's going to have zero game experience with no preseason. It seems very likely that Lamb will start out as a slot-heavy receiver, which should help his transition into the faster pace of the NFL, and it's a role that Randall Cobb saw 83 targets in last year. Keep in mind that was Cobb's first year in the offense, so we should see Lamb reach or exceed that number. But temper expectations in fantasy, as he's clearly the third option this year behind Cooper and Gallup. He's someone who belongs in the WR4/5 conversation. If either of Cooper or Gallup were to miss time, Lamb would be a WR3 start with upside for more.