Brandin Cooks Traded to Dallas
Brandin Cooks is finally free from the basement of the Houston Texans. Is it too late for the Brandin Cooks hype train? Cooks have played nine seasons and have produced six 1000-yard seasons. He has done this throughout four NFL teams. On Average, Cooks has averaged 107 targets per game over this career before coming to his new team, the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a sixth-round pick in 2024 for the 30-year-old receiver. Cooks would likely swing into that second spot behind CeeDee Lamb as the team’s number two receiver. For dynasty, can Brandin Cooks still be valuable?
Cooks have been on the wrong side of age for a while now in dynasty. Cooks should be looked at by contending fantasy owners to provide high-end WR3 value in a usually good passing unit. There is a change in offensive coordinator as Mike McCarthy takes over the play-calling duties. Over the last four seasons, 17 times receivers have earned 70+ targets for the Cowboys. Eleven of those times were by Dalton Schultz, Zeke Elliott, Amari Cooper, Noah Brown, and Jason Witten. All are gone from the team.
Cook’s competition is CeeDee Lamb, who will be the team’s leading target leader and WR1. Michael Gallup has been the WR2/3 for the last four years and can’t stay healthy for an entire season. Two young inexperienced tight ends will likely split work in 2023. The team’s lead back is Tony Pollard, who is coming off a fractured leg. Cooks having upward over 85 targets in 2023 seems likely and valuable for any fantasy owner. For a contending team, giving up two second-round picks is fair for a 30-year-old receiver.
Adam Thielen has Carolina on his mind
The next old-timer is Adam Thielen signed a three-year deal worth up to 25 million dollars with the Panthers. This is a strange signing since the Panthers look in rebuild mode after trading up for the first overall pick. Also, Thielen will be 33 years old during the 2023 season, and only a few receivers have produced at that level. We’ve even seen the great Julio Jones fall out at 32 on a poor passing unit. That is exactly where Thielen is heading to a team that will likely start a rookie quarterback for the 2023 season. Granted, Thielen could be the WR1 on the team, but his speed has dramatically declined over the last few seasons. He must rely on his route-running savvy while he develops chemistry with the rookie quarterback.
Thielen, in his older age, has been known for touchdowns, but just one receiver has gotten over five receiving touchdowns in the last three seasons in Carolina. Granted, that was under a different coaching regime, but even Frank Reich hasn’t been the passing genius. In his five years in Indy, Reich has produced three receivers with over 800 receiving yards. The Panthers will be a run-first unit and likely have inexperienced and inconsistent quarterback play in 2023. Do whatever you can to sell off Thielen for a couple of third-round picks or a late second-round pick if you can get lucky enough.
