Is Amari Cooper entering the elite ranks of WR?
Heading into Week 7, fantasy owners with players on the Cowboys and Panthers will need to scour the waiver wire to address bye week holes in their lineups. In addition, owners faced with under-performing or injured players will need to address these deficiencies and make moves to remain in the playoff hunt.
Below are some interesting statistical tidbits which can better help you target buy-low players possibly available on the waiver wire or through trade. These tidbits can also help you optimize seasonal fantasy league and/or DFS lineups.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Amari Cooper has dropped just 5.3% catchable passes through six games this year.
In comparison, Amari Cooper dropped 20% of the 90 catchable passes thrown his way last season as a rookie. Cooper appears to have put the dropped pass issue behind him, at least based on this small six-game sample size in 2016. If the dropped pass issues are indeed behind him, Cooper may be on the verge of legitimately breaking into the elite tier of WRs. Only three weeks ago, many speculated Cooper was no longer the top option in Oakland when Michael Crabtree led the team in targets (12) and scored three touchdowns against the Ravens in Week 4. The so-called fantasy experts were sounding the alarm telling owners to deal Cooper before his value declined any further. In Week 5, however, it was Cooper with the 12 targets to go with 138 yards receiving and one TD against the Chargers. In Week 6, Cooper followed up his Week 5 performance with another solid game against the more-stout Chiefs’ defense going 10-129-0 on 13 targets. In Week 7, Cooper has an excellent matchup on the road against Jacksonville where he should be viewed as a top-5/10 WR option in all formats. Those who bought Cooper low, when many felt Crabtree had overtaken him on the depth chart, are now reaping the rewards of panicked owners. With pass drop issues potentially behind him, and Derek Carr under center for an up-and-coming Raiders’ team, Cooper looks like the next elite fantasy WR.
Aaron Rodgers is now tied for last in the NFL in adjusted completion percentage on deep balls with 27.3 percent.
Additionally, per Pro Football Focus, although Rodgers was pressured on only 13 % of his drop back passes in Week 6 against the Cowboys, he still received the second worst PFF grade of his career. Based on the results we have seen the last two weeks coming out of the Packers’ bye, many are speculating that Rodgers may be playing injured or perhaps he is in decline. While that may be a huge leap to make after two sub-par weeks, there is no question that he hasn’t lived up to his pre-season QB ECR, and his poor deep ball completion percentage is a large red flag for his owners. While Rodgers had solid games in Weeks 1 and 3 against, respectively, the Jaguars and Lions, his inconsistency and recent results are killing his owners in all fantasy formats. Rodgers, at least right now, appears to be more of a matchup-based fantasy play to the extent that his owners have another viable QB option rostered. Fortunately for his owners, Rodgers will face the Bears’ defense in Week 7, followed by the Falcons and Colts, which should serve to get him back on track. If, however, Rodgers comes out of this upcoming three-game stretch unable to right the ship on his deep ball percentage completions (to go with more poor fantasy numbers), owners will have every reason to believe that he is no longer a sure-fire fantasy asset and will need to make a move or two in order to get more production out of the QB position. Owners with Green Bay WRs rostered may also need to temper expectations going forward if Rodgers’ struggles continue.
In his first three games of 2016, Richard Sherman allowed only four catches and 23 yards; since then, in his last two games, he has allowed nine catches for 181 yards.
In those first three games of 2016, Richard Sherman also allowed no TDs. In the last two games, he has given up two. Much like the write-up on Aaron Rodgers, however, is this recent trend/small sample size indicative of some type of problem – or – is this more of a result of who Sherman has faced? Specifically, Sherman had to contend, primarily, with Brandon Marshall and Julio Jones over the last two weeks. In comparison, in the first three weeks of 2016, Sherman and the Seahawks defense faced the Dolphins, Rams and 49ers. While it is certainly too soon to say whether Sherman owners in IDP leagues or Seahawks D/ST owners need to be concerned, a tough slate of games coming up for the Seahawks (three games over the next four weeks) may give us our answer. The Seahawks will face the Cardinals (although Carson Palmer hasn’t looked great), Saints, Bills and Patriots, over the next four weeks. Larry Fitzgerald, Brandin Cooks and Julian Edelman owners should, at least at this point, be less inclined to bench these players (although it’s doubtful they would be benched in all but the shallowest of leagues) based on a perceived “bad matchup” against Seattle and Sherman.
After their Week 6 loss to the Bills, the 49ers became just the fourth team in NFL history to lose five straight games while allowing an opposing player to rush for 100+ yards.
In Week 6, LeSean McCoy annihilated the 49ers putrid rush defense to the tune of 140 yards on just 19 carries, while rushing for three TDs. In Week 7, the 49ers and their deficient rush defense will host the Bucs. If Doug Martin is unable to go against San Francisco, Jacquizz Rodgers becomes a must-add and start for any team that is in need of a productive RB. Rodgers is owned in just 53% of CBS Leagues making him a priority waiver addition, especially if it is confirmed that Martin will sit in Week 7. Looking ahead to Week 9, after the 49ers’ Week 8 bye, the Saints come to town making Mark Ingram, a solid buy-low candidate on the trade market, a top RB option for that week.
In Week 6, Ezekiel Elliot became the first rookie in NFL history to rush for 130 yards in four consecutive games.
Yes, he’s very good.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has zero passing TDs and 10 interceptions in the second half this season.
Yes, he’s very bad.
Andrew Luck had a perfect QB rating when throwing to Jack Doyle in Week 6.
Andrew Luck was 4-for-4 targeting Jack Doyle who caught those four passes for 58 yards and a TD in the Colts’ Week 6 game against the Texans. Yes, I get it – it certainly wasn’t a huge sample size, and not to sound like Jon Gruden, but I do like Jack Doyle as a sneaky-play TE in the second half of the NFL season. It appears that Luck is developing a solid rapport with Doyle and, if Dwayne Allen is forced to miss significant time with an injury suffered in Week 6, Doyle may take over as the clear-cut lead TE in Indianapolis. This is a team that will be playing from behind most of the time and, as a result, it makes Doyle a viable starting TE in deeper leagues (and perhaps more shallow leagues as the season wears on). He is owned in just 13% of CBS Leagues and should be targeted by Jason Witten and Greg Olsen owners for Week 7 (as well as owners generally in need of help at TE). The Colts will take on the Titans in Week 7 and, in addition to serving as potential help in seasonal formats, Doyle is a solid contrarian play in DFS formats depending on his price tag.
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Nicky Tapas is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Nicky, check out his archive and follow him @nickytapas71.
