Fantasy fallout: Can Amari Cooper’s fresh start make him a must-start? – NFL Nation

Amari Cooper got to hit the reset button this week with a trade from the Oakland Raiders to the Dallas Cowboys.

But should his fantasy owners offer him the same fresh start?

After beginning his career with two 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowl appearances, Cooper has become one of fantasy’s most frustrating players because of his inconsistency. He ranks 60th among receivers in ESPN fantasy scoring this season, despite having two 100-yard games and only one dropped pass (a problem that has plagued him in the past).

ESPN Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez said he thinks the change of scenery should help but wondered if that will be enough to finally sustain Cooper’s production from week to week. As Gutierrez pointed out, Cooper now has three 100-yard receiving games in his past seven outings — but he also has fewer than 35 receiving yards in 12 of his past 19 games.

And now, not only is Cooper changing teams in the middle of a season, but he’s going from an Oakland offense that ranks 10th in the NFL in passing yards per game (281.0) to a Dallas offense that ranks 29th (183.1).

But one thing Cooper should absolutely get in Dallas is opportunity.

He’d better, said ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer, after Dallas traded a first-round pick to get him.

Archer wrote that you don’t make a trade like that just to make Cooper part of a committee approach that wasn’t working in Dallas. And the Cowboys have a long history of preferring a true No. 1 receiver.

So at the very least, Archer said the Cowboys had better see the kind of production they got from Dez Bryant during the first 14 weeks of last season, when Bryant ranked among the NFL’s top 15 receivers in targets, receptions and touchdown catches.

“They’re not going to start chucking it all over the place. They need Cooper just to make the defense take notice of the passing game,” Archer said. “But they’re not going to slow-play this. I believe he will get a lot of work early, provided he’s just not terrible in practice.”

Cooper will get an extra week before the Cowboys (and his fantasy owners) have to decide on his role because of Dallas’ Week 8 bye. As Archer wrote, quarterback Dak Prescott and the coaches plan to spend extra time bringing Cooper up to speed.

More Cowboys fallout: If anything, Archer said Cooper’s arrival could help slot receiver Cole Beasley, who has come on strong in recent weeks, because defenses will have to pay more attention to the outside receivers. As for rookie Michael Gallup, who just had a mini-breakout with three catches for 81 yards and a TD last week, obviously this limits his opportunity to become a featured target. But Archer said he can’t imagine Gallup’s numbers going down any, since he was catching only one to two passes every week in the first place.

More Raiders fallout: Gutierrez said new No. 1 receiver Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant should both get a little bump now that Cooper is gone. But he thinks tight end Jared Cook could actually be the one who fills the void the most.

This has been a turbulent week in Oakland, where veteran running back Marshawn Lynch was placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. That creates an opportunity for veteran Doug Martin, who Gutierrez said is the new “feature back” according to coach Jon Gruden. But Martin hasn’t had a very inspiring season so far, and Gutierrez said Gruden “loves him some Jalen Richard on third downs and catching passes out of the backfield.” Plus, RB DeAndre Washington should also make his season debut soon after having a knee scoped in the preseason. And the Raiders’ offensive line is beat up. So Martin is probably interesting only if you’re really in a bind.

Lastly, it can’t help QB Derek Carr to lose weapons such as Cooper and Lynch. But Carr still has the support of teammates such as tight end Lee Smith, who offered a passionate defense of his friend Carr as the team’s leader this week.

More trade fallout: New Jacksonville Jaguars running back Carlos Hyde was inactive Sunday after being acquired from the Cleveland Browns. But Jaguars reporter Michael DiRocco said he expects a “pretty significant” role for Hyde this week since he has a similar power-running style to injured starter Leonard Fournette.

Also, if you have a free bench spot, you might want to make a speculative add of Denver Broncos rookie receiver Courtland Sutton in case Denver decides to trade veteran Demaryius Thomas. Broncos reporter Jeff Legwold has been pointing to Sutton as a breakout candidate since the preseason, but opportunity has been his biggest hurdle.

Quick hits

Arizona Cardinals: The switch from fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy to new offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich can only help Arizona’s sagging offense. Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss wrote the hope is that RB David Johnson and QB Josh Rosen will benefit, in particular. Arizona coach Steve Wilks wants Johnson more involved, and Leftwich was on staff when Johnson was thriving under former coach Bruce Arians. The connection with Leftwich and Rosen is even more obvious since they were both QBs drafted in Round 1.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Second-year WR JuJu Smith-Schuster has breezed straight past his No. 2 receiver role on his way to 1-A, with plenty more room to grow, as Steelers reporter Jeremy Fowler wrote. Meanwhile, QB Ben Roethlisberger, 36, is still showing some new tricks. Fowler broke down why he is on pace for personal bests in passing yards and attempts.

Detroit Lions: After reading Lions reporter Michael Rothstein’s post on the emergence of second-year tight end Michael Roberts, I quickly checked to see if he was available in my 20-team league. Unfortunately, he wasn’t. But he is still available in nearly 99 percent of ESPN leagues despite catching two TDs in his first game back from a knee injury. Roberts has three TDs in three games this season, and Rothstein wrote he is part of the reason why Detroit felt comfortable parting ways with Eric Ebron in the offseason.

Green Bay Packers: If Green Bay’s Week 7 bye doesn’t yield more touches for RB Aaron Jones, then perhaps nothing will, wrote Packers reporter Rob Demovsky. Jones’ average of 5.9 yards per carry ranks fifth in the NFL among all backs with at least 32 carries. And Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the biggest thing that stood out during the team’s self-scout was that the run game needs more attempts.

New Orleans Saints: Rookie receiver Tre’Quan Smith appears to be the Saints receiver to own ahead of Cameron Meredith in the wake of veteran Ted Ginn Jr. being placed on injured reserve. Smith played 52 snaps in Week 7, with three catches for 44 yards on six targets (including one end zone target). Meredith wasn’t targeted once in 18 snaps. Meredith should have more opportunities as the season goes along, but Smith has the higher upside, since he is also more of a big-play specialist.

Also, backup Saints quarterback Taysom Hill has been more of a fantasy annoyance than a fantasy asset, since he is taking occasional touches away from Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. But he has injected some new excitement into New Orleans’ offense as a do-everything QB/RB/WR/TE/KR/ST. And as ESPN’s Saints reporter, I had a lot of fun writing about Sean Payton’s “new toy.”

Minnesota Vikings: With RB Dalvin Cook likely to be sidelined by his hamstring injury through the Week 10 bye, the Vikings sure are glad they decided to keep veteran backup Latavius Murray this offseason, as Vikings reporter Courtney Cronin wrote. Murray has run for 224 yards and three TDs over the past two weeks.

New England Patriots: Veteran James White‘s value only continues to increase in New England — as he proved again Sunday in the wake of yet another Patriots RB injury (this time to rookie Sony Michel). Patriots reporter Mike Reiss said New England would probably like to keep White primarily in his pass-catching role while Michel is out. But he could also chip in as a runner since Reiss doesn’t expect the Patriots to use backup Kenjon Barner in a “workhorse” role.

Washington Redskins: Adrian Peterson has made a big impact both on and off the field, where he has been sharing his wisdom with younger teammates, Redskins reporter John Keim wrote.

Kansas City Chiefs: Kareem Hunt got his reward for doing the early-season “dirty work” with Sunday night’s three-touchdown game, as Chiefs reporter Adam Teicher wrote. And though he’ll still have to share the limelight with dynamic QB Patrick Mahomes and the receivers, it’s clear the Chiefs value Hunt as a true No. 1 back.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers finally got a rushing touchdown from a running back last week — making them the 32nd team to do so this season. Bucs reporter Jenna Laine broke down the factors that have been stifling Tampa Bay’s run game.

Los Angeles Rams: Jared Goff calls WR Robert Woods “Mr. Consistent.” Rams reporter Lindsey Thiry wrote about why Woods’ versatility also might make him the team’s most valuable receiver.

Los Angeles Chargers: Keenan Allen remains the Chargers’ No. 1 receiver, despite his visible frustration on the sideline last Sunday. But Tyrell Williams‘ recent breakout has made him the team’s clear No. 2, as Chargers reporter Eric D. Williams wrote.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton now has 15 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career after the Panthers’ rally at Philadelphia. That’s two more than Aaron Rodgers has in his career, as Panthers reporter David Newton wrote. It even inspired a Michael Jordan comparison from Carolina coach Ron Rivera.

Baltimore Ravens: Rookie first-round draft pick Hayden Hurst has been a nonfactor in three games since his return from foot surgery. But perhaps his matchup against the Panthers can finally lead to a breakthrough, wrote Ravens reporter Jamison Hensley.

Cleveland Browns: Through his first four starts, rookie QB Baker Mayfield has shown signs of hope and room to grow, as Browns reporter Pat McManamon analyzed.

New York Jets: Meanwhile, as Jets reporter Rich Cimini wrote, rookie QB Sam Darnold‘s growth could be stunted by New York’s mounting injuries.