Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Not cleared to practice Wednesday
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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that Cooks (knee) is progressing, but the receiver won't practice Wednesday, Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.
Dallas has yet to open the 21-day evaluation window for Cooks, who was placed on injured reserve Oct. 5 due to an infection in his right knee that required a procedure. Though Cooks has missed the required four games while on IR, his absence from practice to begin Week 10 prep suggests that he's likely to remain out for Sunday's game against the Eagles.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Shifts to IR
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Cooks (knee) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
While Cooks' right knee operation earlier this week seemingly came out of nowhere, Saturday's designation is hardly surprising considering the severity of the aforementioned event. Expect Jalen Tolbert to step into a prominent role opposite CeeDee Lamb as a featured pass catcher, with tight end Jake Ferguson also in the mix as a significant target.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Won't play Week 5
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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that Cooks (knee) will not be available for Sunday's game against the Steelers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Cooks underwent an operation on his right knee in New York following Dallas' road win over the Giants last Thursday, and he's now dealing with an infection related to that procedure. The Cowboys have yet to determine whether Cooks' recovery timetable will extend beyond a single game. In the meantime, Jalen Tolbert will operate as the Cowboys' No. 2 wide receiver behind top option CeeDee Lamb. KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks will also step into larger roles on offense, while rookie sixth-rounder Ryan Flournoy could get a chance to make his NFL debut. McCarthy also noted that Dallas could promote further depth off the practice squad.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Out at least one week
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Cooks is expected to miss at least Sunday's game against the Steelers due to an infection in his right knee, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Cooks reportedly underwent a procedure on his knee in New York shortly after Dallas' win over the Giants last Thursday. He subsequently developed an infection following the procedure, and while the Cowboys have yet to officially rule Cooks out versus Pittsburgh, the veteran wideout looks like he'll have to miss at least one game, if not longer. Jalen Tolbert is expected to step into the No. 2 receiver role behind CeeDee Lamb as long as Cooks is sidelined, while KaVontae Turpin, Jalen Brooks and rookie sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy stand to all also benefit from increased opportunities.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Only one grab in Week 4
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Cooks caught one of four targets for 16 yards in Thursday's win over the Giants.
The veteran wideout did see one more target than Jalen Tolbert, but otherwise it was another disappointing showing for Cooks. The 31-year-old has been out-produced by the younger Tolbert in three straight games, and Cooks' 9-91-1 line on 19 targets through four weeks has him on pace for career lows in yards per reception (10.1) and yards per target (a woeful 4.8). He has yet to have a gain of 40 or more yards in 20 contests with Dallas, and Cooks' ability to stretch the field appears to be leaving him as he heads into what might be the final stage of his career.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Just two catches Sunday
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Cooks caught two of six targets for 16 yards in Sunday's loss to the Ravens.
The six targets were a marked improvement on the two he got last week, but Cooks failed to do much with the additional volume and was out-produced by Jalen Tolbert for the second straight game. Tolbert could be emerging as the Cowboys' new No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb, but Cooks will get a chance to reassert himself Week 4 against the Giants.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Quiet in Week 2 loss
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Cooks caught both his targets for 19 yards and lost three yards on one carry in Sunday's 44-19 loss to the Saints.
The Cowboys were down 35-16 heading into halftime, but Cooks still didn't see much volume as the team tried desperately to catch up in the second half. Instead, it was Jalen Tolbert who stepped up with a 6-82-0 line on nine targets. Cooks did score a TD in Dallas' opener, but otherwise he hasn't been able to make much of an impact, and if Tolbert continues to impress, he could pass the veteran on the depth chart. Cooks will try to break out Week 3 against a Ravens secondary that ranks in the bottom 10 in catches allowed to wideouts so far.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Sleeper WRs
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We'll see if Jake Ferguson (knee) can play in Week 2 against the Saints, but if he's out, then that increases the value for Cooks even more against the team that drafted him in 2014. Cooks has faced the Saints three times in his career, and he's scored at least 16.4 PPR points in two of those outings with two touchdowns. He's coming off a quality Fantasy performance in Week 1 at Cleveland with four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on seven targets, and Cooks has now scored a touchdown in eight of his past 13 games going back to last season. He's worth using as a No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Week 2 Adds (WR Preview)
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Cooks saw seven targets in Week 1. That's an important number. He only had that many in five games last year, but he averaged 16 PPR Fantasy points in those five games. If he can start consistently earning seven targets per week, he may be a Fantasy starter again.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Week 2 Waiver Priority List
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Cooks had four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown on seven targets in Week 1 at Cleveland. He could see an uptick in targets if Jake Ferguson (knee) is going to miss significant time, and the Cowboys passing game might be more prominent this season with the run game expected to struggle. Cooks is worth adding for 10 percent of your remaining FAB.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: First touchdown of 2024
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Cooks recorded four receptions on seven targets for 40 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 33-17 win over Cleveland. He added one rush for five yards.
Cooks occupied the No. 2 receiver role in Dallas' offense and delivered a pair of catches of at least 15 yards. He did record the team's only offensive touchdown through the air, which came midway through the first quarter on a 21-yard catch. Cooks is coming off his two worst statistical seasons as a pro, but the lack of proven alternatives in Dallas should mean he will continue to get targets.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Not listed on practice report
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Cooks (knee) wasn't listed on the Cowboys' injury report Wednesday, Nick Harris of the team's official site reports.
Cooks exited practice Aug. 15 due to a sore knee, which contained him to the rehab group and/or no practice at all in the interim. The cautious approach from the Cowboys appears to have paid off in advance of Sunday's season opener at Cleveland, where he'll serve as Dallas' No. 2 wideout behind CeeDee Lamb. Last season, the role equated to a 54-657-8 receiving line on 81 targets for Cooks in 16 games.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Week 1 Waiver Priority List
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Cooks is dealing with a knee injury, so we'll see what his status is for Week 1 against Cleveland. When healthy, Cooks should be the No. 2 receiver in Dallas, and he's worth stashing on your bench. Last season, Cooks scored seven touchdowns in his final 11 games and reached at least 14.2 PPR points in six of those outings. In deeper leagues, you can take a flier on Jalen Tolbert (0 percent rostered) as well.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Will miss next two practices
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Coach Mike McCarthy said Tuesday that Cooks (knee) will miss the Cowboys' next two practices for personal reasons, Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Cooks, who worked with the rehab group Monday due to lingering knee soreness, will miss sessions Tuesday and Wednesday to fly back to Dallas, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. With CeeDee Lamb (holdout) still away from the team, Cooks' brief absence will provide Jalen Tolbert with another chance to lead the team's wide receiver group during practice.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Dealing with knee soreness
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Cooks departed Thursday's practice early due to knee soreness, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Cooks reportedly pulled up gingerly during a route during Wednesday's joint practice with the Rams, which could be how his knee soreness originated. The veteran wide receiver's injury doesn't currently look too serious, but with No. 1 wideout CeeDee Lamb (contract dispute) still holding out from camp, any time missed by Cooks could significantly impact the first-team offense in pass-catching drills. As long as Cooks is sidelined, Jalen Tolbert will have an opportunity to handle an increased role at practice.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Having strong camp
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Cooks continues to show excellent chemistry with Dak Prescott during training camp, Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf of The Athletic report.
CeeDee Lamb's holdout has allowed Cooks to operate as the Cowboys' No. 1 receiver in camp, and the veteran has taken advantage. "He's having a hell of a camp," coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday. "I think we had a statistic last week that throughout every three catches that he's made in the team work has been either a touchdown or a big play." Cooks had a somewhat disappointing first season with Dallas in 2023, failing to see at least 100 targets while playing at least 15 regular-season games for the first time in his career. His eight TDs were his best total since 2016 though, and the 30-year-old speedster is still in great shape. Cooks still seems capable of putting up big numbers if he gets the volume, something which could depend on Lamb's status for Week 1.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Scores eight TDs in 2023
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Cooks caught 54 of 81 targets for 657 yards and eight touchdowns over 16 regular-season games in 2023. He added 35 rushing yards on five carries.
The veteran speedster was brought in last offseason to provide more consistent support in the passing game for CeeDee Lamb, but Cooks was basically invisible through his first month as a Cowboy. Cooks' production began to pick up once he scored his first TD of the season Week 6 against the Chargers, but the 30-year-old still finished the campaign with his lowest yardage total over a 16-game slate. Despite that fact, his eight scores were his most since 2016. Cooks will get a $3 million bonus if he's still on the roster March 17, so he's a candidate to be cut before then, but his $8 million salary for 2024 is reasonable given his role.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Finds end zone in Week 18 win
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Cooks caught six of eight passes for 39 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 38-10 win over the Commanders.
The veteran wideout put the finishing touches on the rout with Dallas' final TD of the day on a five-yard pass from Dak Prescott late in the third quarter. Cooks had a sluggish start to his Cowboys tenure and ended up well short of reaching 1,000 receiving yards for the seventh time in his career, but his eight receiving touchdowns were his highest mark since 2016. Five of those scores came in the last seven games, and Cooks could find pay dirt again in the wild-card round as Dallas hosts a vulnerable Green Bay secondary.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Sleeper WRs
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It's risky to trust Cooks on the road, but he's got a great matchup in Week 18 at Washington and should be a useful No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Cooks has topped 10 PPR points just twice on the road this season, which was in Week 6 at the Chargers (15 PPR points) and Week 16 at Miami (10.3 PPR points). But at home he's scored at least 14.2 PPR points in five of his past six outings in Dallas. That includes Week 12 against the Commanders when he had four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on five targets, and he could replicate that level of production in the rematch. In their past five games, Washington has allowed eight receivers to score at least 14.7 PPR points, including three duos to reach that mark (CeeDee Lamb and Cooks in Week 12, Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson in Week 15 and Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in Week 17). Look for Lamb and Cooks to both play well in Week 18.
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Cowboys' Brandin Cooks: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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It's risky to trust Cooks on the road, but he's got a great matchup in Week 18 at Washington and should be a useful No. 3 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. Cooks has topped 10 PPR points just twice on the road this season, which was in Week 6 at the Chargers (15 PPR points) and Week 16 at Miami (10.3 PPR points). But at home he's scored at least 14.2 PPR points in five of his past six outings in Dallas. That includes Week 12 against the Commanders when he had four catches for 72 yards and a touchdown on five targets, and he could replicate that level of production in the rematch. In their past five games, Washington has allowed eight receivers to score at least 14.7 PPR points, including three duos to reach that mark (CeeDee Lamb and Cooks in Week 12, Cooper Kupp and Demarcus Robinson in Week 15 and Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel in Week 17). Look for Lamb and Cooks to both play well in Week 18.
