Nobody enjoys getting teased. Like, when a movie starts with an incredible opening scene, only to spend the rest of the run time thoroughly disappointing. Or an appetizer is scrumptious only to be followed by a bland entrée. Or when Amari Cooper has a big fantasy game, like he’s known to do, yet routinely delivers multiple duds in the weeks ahead.
It is hard to get comfortable when you’re confronted with nonstop inconsistency. And that is largely what Cooper has delivered for fantasy purposes across his NFL career. Great game one week, maybe two, sometimes even three, but almost always huge dips in production to counter those spikes. As many games as he helps win for your fantasy team, it seems he is a drag on your success rate just as often.
Take last season with the Cowboys. In 15 games played, he averaged 13.5 PPR points game, scoring 202.5 for the season. His total points ranked him 27th among wide receivers but his average placed him 31st, his dips being more severe than most causing the difference.
His wild swings in scoring have been as unpredictable as they are maddening. His average difference in production from week to week last season was 11.5 per game. Meaning, on a given week, he was likely to score 11.5 points more or 11.5 less than the previous week. That doesn’t leave many dependable points based on a 13.5 average.
This volatility makes him a risk to start on any given week, regardless of matchup. And just because he had a nice game Sunday — nine catches, 101 yards, one touchdown, 25.1 PPR points — doesn’t mean you suddenly can count on him. That’s the tease. Lest we remind you of his paltry 3-for-6, 17-yard, 4.7-PPR dud in Week 1?
Amari CooperGetty ImagesClassic Amari. Not quite Tyler Lockett extreme, but extreme fluctuation nonetheless.
So how do you navigate such a high degree of volatility? How do you know when to start him or not? What’s the solution?
The solution is to make it someone else’s problem. Cooper has name recognition among football and fantasy fans in general — thanks largely to those monster games. That elevates his value above what his actual performance should dictate. Shop him around and see what you can get.
Sell Cooper’s big Week 2, and the prospect of Deshaun Watson being his QB late in the season, and try to land someone like JuJu Smith-Schuster, whose production should increase in lockstep with the time spent working with Patrick Mahomes. We would also prefer the steadiness and upside of Christian Kirk to Cooper’s fantasy schizophrenia.
Adam Lazard made his season debut Sunday after missing Week 1 and much of the preseason with an ankle issue. He has familiarity with QB Aaron Rodgers, unlike most of his teammates, and increased practice time and health should boost his performance and volume.
And if you’re looking long term, we like Chris Godwin much better than Cooper, though you might have to wait another week or two before getting to use the Buccaneers WR.
