Amari Cooper Fantasy: Value of WR After Trade to Cowboys

Amari Cooper

Getty Oakland Raiders WR Amari Cooper

The Oakland Raiders and head coach Jon Gruden aren’t messing around when it comes to their rebuild. The most recent proof of that comes in the form of yet another huge name being traded. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed Monday, the Raiders have dealt wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys for a first-round draft pick.

The deal is eye-opening for a variety of reasons. Not only do the Cowboys desperately need a playmaker at wide receiver, but Cooper has struggled to do much of anything this season while lacking consistency.

A new home could do wonders for Cooper, who’s specifically frustrated Raiders fans and fantasy football players alike. Let’s take a look at how the move to Dallas impacts Cooper’s fantasy value moving forward.


Amari Cooper’s Fantasy Football Value With Cowboys

The Cowboys may have a run-first approach, but whatever Cooper’s role in the Raiders offense was, it wasn’t good. Fantasy owners were well aware of this, as Cooper has games this season with zero, one, one and two catches. He also has two other games with 18 combined catches for 244 yards and one touchdown.

Will the Cowboys get the player who can top 100-yards and dominate opposing defensive backs or the one who disappears and catches one pass for nine yards?

A key here is the fact that Ezekiel Elliott’s presence may make Cooper’s life drastically easier. Simply put, the Cowboys don’t have a clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver, but Cooper can be that guy if he can live up to the talent he’s flashed. Last season in the eight games Elliott played before his suspension, former wideout Dez Bryant scored four touchdowns and had four or more catches in six games.

There’s an obvious reason to believe Bryant may have lost a bit of a step that year (considering the Cowboys parted ways with him after), but even going back to 2016 we saw success. Bryant topped 70 receiving yards in eight of the 13 games he played and hauled in eight touchdowns over that span.


Should You Buy Low on Amari Cooper?

If there was ever a situation to take a chance on where you won’t have to break the bank for a receiver in fantasy football, this is probably it. Dak Prescott has desperately been looking for a wideout to step up, and while Cole Beasley has done a fine job, Cooper has the upside to be a game changer. He can get loose over the top or move the chains, the perfect versatile weapon for Prescott and the Cowboys offense.

The big question, though, is whether the 24-year-old receiver can return to the form which led to him topping 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first two seasons. At this point, the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft has plenty to prove, so I’d consider adding him in most fantasy formats if the price is right.

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