In 2023, Brandin Cooks will join his sixth NFL franchise, the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys acquired Cooks in March in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick and a 2024 sixth-round pick from the Houston Texans.
That’s a fantastic deal for a receiver who has six 1,000-yard seasons across four schemes. Some consider Cooks’ move around the NFL to be a red flag, but his ability to perform in different systems with different — and frequently poor — quarterbacks is a noteworthy feat. What is Brandin Cooks’ fantasy football value in 2023 as the Cowboys’ No. 2 wideout?
The New Orleans Saints selected Cooks in the first round out of Oregon State in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played three seasons in Louisiana before joining the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Rams, and, most recently, the Houston Texans. Cooks has appeared in two Super Bowls but has yet to win one. He and the Patriots fell to the Philadelphia Eagles, and then he lost to the Patriots again after moving to the Rams. He arrives in Dallas with high aspirations and his sights set on the grand prize.
Situation in a Group
Dalton Schultz of the Texans was the Cowboys’ leading receiver outside of CeeDee Lamb in 2022, with five touchdowns. He wasn’t a part of the Brandin Cooks trade, but he could have been. Cooks was largely a consolation prize for the loss of Schultz. Schultz turned down the Cowboys’ contract offer, and Dallas pursued a different path with Cooks.
Cooks is now the clear second choice for Dak Prescott. Lamb finished with 1,359 yards and nine touchdowns, while Schultz only had 577 yards. When Lamb first emerged as the Cowboys’ WR1, Schultz and former Cowboy Amari Cooper both had over 800 yards.
Following Cooper’s departure, Michael Gallup appeared to be the team’s next man up. However, due to the fact that he was recovering from ACL surgery, he didn’t make much growth as a player in 2022. Noah Brown, who is now a Texan, finished with more yards than Gallup.
Outside of Lamb’s overwhelming target share, there’s a lot of production that needs to be made up. The Cowboys anticipate that person to be Cooks. Dallas has enough skill to effectively balance the run and pass games, and Cooks will almost certainly receive a large target share.
Player Information
Cooks’ main asset is speed, which is a valuable one to have. Even though he’s 29, his route-running and matchup win rate numbers were still extremely impressive last year, especially when Houston focused on opening up the offense and allowing Cooks to spread the field. He was only hampered by the fact that he was the major focus of the NFL’s second-worst offense.
Cooks has not only been the No. 1 receiving option in Houston the previous two years, but he has also been the only receiving option. In 2022, he only had 699 yards, but he played 13 games and was on track for about 1,000 yards again during a full 17-game season. With Davis Mills at quarterback, no other receiving weapons, and a shaky offensive line, that’s a tough ask. Cooks had over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns in Mills’ first season.
Cooks should be able to hit the 1,000-yard mark again in the Cowboys offense, with Prescott throwing the ball. If he does, he will be the first player in history to have played for five different teams.