Brandin Cooks begins a stint with his fifth NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys, in 2023. The Cowboys traded for Cooks in March, sending a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth to the Houston Texans. That's a great trade for a receiver who has six 1,000 yard seasons in four different offenses. Some see Cooks' journey around the NFL as a red flag, but his ability to produce in different systems with different — and often subpar — quarterbacks is an impressive feat. As the No. 2 wideout in the Cowboys' offense, what is Brandin Cooks' fantasy football value in 2023?
Cooks was drafted in the first round out of Oregon State in the 2014 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He spent three seasons in Louisiana before making stints with the New England Patriots, Los Angles Rams, and most recently the Texans. Cooks has played in two Super Bowls, but is yet to capture his hardware. He and the Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, then after he moved to the Rams, he lost again to none other than the Patriots. He starts his time in Dallas with high hopes and eyes set on the final prize.
Team Situation
Texans tight end Dalton Schultz was the leading receiver outside of CeeDee Lamb for the Cowboys in 2022 and scored five touchdowns. While he wasn't a part of the Brandin Cooks trade, he might as well have been. Signing Cooks was essentially their consolation prize for losing Schultz. Schultz rejected the Cowboys' contract offer, and Dallas went a different route with Cooks.
Anyways, now Cooks is the clear-cut second option for Dak Prescott. Lamb totaled 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns, while Schultz managed just 577 yards. The year prior, when Lamb emerged as the Cowboys' WR1, Schultz and former Cowboy Amari Cooper each went for over 800 yards.
Following Cooper's departure from the team, Michael Gallup looked like the next man up. However, he didn't progress much as a player in 2022, due to the fact he was coming off an ACL surgery. Noah Brown, also now on the Texans, actually finished with more yards than Gallup.
The point is, outside of Lamb's commanding target share, there's a lot of production someone needs to make up. The Cowboys expect that someone to be Cooks. Dallas has enough talent to balance the run and pass games well, and Cooks is likely to receive a big target share.
Player Profile
Cooks' best attribute is speed, which is a great tool to have. He's 29 now, but his route-running and matchup win rate metrics were still very strong last year, particularly when Houston focused on opening up the offense and letting Cooks stretch the field. He was only limited by being the primary focus of the second-worst offense in the NFL.
The last two years in Houston, Cooks hasn't just been the No. 1 receiving option, but he's been the only receiving option. He managed only 699 yards in 2022, but he played 13 games and was on pace for nearly 1,000 again over a full 17-game season. That's with Davis Mills at quarterback, no other receiving weapons and a bad offensive line. Mills' rookie year, Cooks racked up over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns.
In the Cowboys' offense, with Prescott throwing the ball, Cooks should certainly be able to reach that 1k mark again. If he does, he will become the first player to do so with five different teams.
Projection and Draft Value
Cooks has always been an underrated NFL player, and he could likely be an underrated fantasy football option this year as well. His average draft position (ADP) is No. 41 amongst receivers right now, per FantasyPros, which is mid-to-low-end WR4 territory. If Cooks is available that late in drafts, that's excellent value for a player who consistently puts up quality production.
This isn't to say Cooks is a surefire starter every week, but he's in the best position to succeed than he has had since his lone season with Tom Brady in New England. All signs point to Cooks getting back to 1,000-yard territory, and he averages over five touchdowns per year for his career. That number would certainly be higher if the Texans weren't allergic to scoring points as well.
1,000-1,100 yards and ~6 touchdowns doesn't sound too special, but that's the production Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Mike Evans put up last year, and Evans' ADP is a full tier higher amongst receivers than Cooks' is. Cooks is also in a much better offense with a much better quarterback.
Drafting Cooks in the 9th or 10th round is a more valuable play than getting Evans in the 7th or 8th. Consider Cooks a mid-to-low-end WR3, much like Evans, or a solid secondary flex option. If Cooks is the first guy off your bench, you're in a good spot in terms of receivers.
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