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Fantasy football: Expect Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks to rebound in 2020

The 2019 season did not go as planned for veteran speedster Brandin Cooks. The then-Los Angeles Rams receiver played in 14 games, but a mid-season concussion derailed his campaign, ultimately sapping his effectiveness and minimizing his offensive output after he returned. Over the offseason, Cooks was traded to the Houston Texans — the fourth team he'll suit up for in his career. Here's what we can expect from Cooks from a fantasy football perspective as he transitions to a new team and a new quarterback.

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Where Cooks wins

Cooks is one of the NFL's premier vertical deep threats, though his skill set allows him to contribute beyond that. Still, his primary role in an offense is to threaten vertically, effectively taking the top off a defense. Looking back at his past three seasons, here are how his numbers stacked up in comparison to himself:

Brandin Cooks' Output | 2017-2019
Year Receiving snaps Yards aDOT Explosive pass plays (15+ yards) Yds/Rec. YPRR
2017 609 1,082 15.9 31 16.6 1.78
2018 583 1,204 13.2 36 15.1 2.07
2019 452 583 14.5 18 13.9 1.29

*aDOT = Average depth of target; YPRR = Yards per route run

Cooks’ numbers took a nosedive across the board in 2019, due in large part to a sudden lack of chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff (72.7% completion percentage in 2018, 62.7% in 2019) and the concussion that derailed his season.

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