For years now, analysts, fans, and fantasy football players alike have been predicting breakout seasons from tight end Jared Cook. However, by the end of each season – they were proven wrong.
People seemed to have given up on it ever happening for the talented and athletic tight end. Then, last season happened.
In his second (and last) campaign with the Oakland Raiders, Cook racked up career-highs in receptions (68), yards (896), and touchdowns (6).
He did so on a lost Raiders team that had a lot of problems. Not only were there trades, locker room disputes, and everything else going on; it just wasn't that talented of an offense.
By no means is quarterback Derek Carr bad, but he hasn't shown that star-level talent that he flashed a few seasons ago. They also had very little going for them at receiver, especially after trading Amari Cooper.
You could argue that this helped Cook, as he was targeted more. Still, it was also up to him to get open enough to get the ball thrown to him. He still reeled in the catches and put up highs in every offensive category.
This offseason, he signed with New Orleans Saints. The Saints offense is such an improvement from the Raiders, it's almost impossible to explain.
Of course, it's harder to get better than Drew Brees at quarterback. There's also Alvin Kamara as one of the most dangerous running backs in the entire NFL, and a receiver corps lead by the elite Michael Thomas.
With that in mind, you'd have to imagine Cook will flourish. At the same time, there are a lot more pieces at play here. The Saints won't be lacking targets anytime soon. That means Cook likely won't get looked at as much.
New Orleans isn't going to be force-feeding him the ball because there are so many other weapons to throw to, they simply don't need to do that with anyone.
That being said, there's an upside to that exact scenario. Opposing defenses won't lock in on Cook.
Last season, Michael Thomas had an absurd 125 receptions. The Saints also have pass catchers like Ted Ginn Jr., Cameron Meredith, and Tre'Quan Smith who will take plenty of pressure off Cook. Then there's Kamara, who had over 800 rushing yards and a ridiculous 81 receptions and 709 receiving yards to go with it.
Brees is in the elite class of quarterbacks in NFL history. He'll have no problem getting everyone involved nicely. And with all that talent, Cook doesn't have to worry about being double-teamed. This should lead to him being open more often.
It's also important to note that Cook is the starting tight end. He won't have to worry about playing behind anyone or even really splitting snaps.
Due to all that, his fantasy outlook is pretty good. No, he won't be on Travis Kelce or Zach Ertz's level, but big things could be coming for Jared Cook.
If you're in a PPR (Points Per Reception) league, it's fair to warn you that you shouldn't expect massive reception numbers. It's likely even that his reception total will go down from 2018.
Again, last season Cook was the passing offense. He was force-fed the ball because there wasn't much else going on for Oakland.
With the Saints, things will be different. Cook won't be used in the same way. However, without double-teams and defense's focusing on him, he should get open a lot. This will lead to the dip in receptions being minimal. Meanwhile, the yards will probably suffer slightly as well.
Now, all that being said, this could easily be a season that produces a new career-best in touchdown receptions for the tight end. Cook's six receiving touchdowns last year were a career-high for him. With all the talent around him, he'll be focused on less, and that will make a big difference in the red zone. It could lead to quite a few touchdowns from the 6-foot-5, 254-pound man.
Some stats will definitely go down. But, with Brees at QB and the talent around him, Jared Cook should produce another fantastic fantasy season.
Should Jared Cook be the first tight end on your Fantasy Football draft boards? No. Could he put up top-5 production from the position in 2019? Absolutely.
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