It may only be June, but committed fantasy football owners are already firing up their mock drafts to get a leg up on the competition. Already, we have a wealth of enticing rookies who could potentially make or break your season. Atop that list sits Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Now the divide between Cooper the football player and Cooper the fantasy player is a big one. On one hand, Cooper is one of the most NFL-ready rookie wide receivers to come along in recent memory and will immediately be the No. 1 target in Oakland. But, on the other hand, Derek Carr's up-and-down rookie season does not promise consistent fantasy production in this sub-par passing offense. Overall, Cooper may end up being a stud, but it's unknown if that will happen this year.
"Five rookie wideouts finished in the positional top 30 last year, and two - Odell Beckham Jr. and Mike Evans - finished in the top 11," ESPN Fantasy Football Insider Eric Karabell wrote. "No doubt that will put pressure on Cooper and his fellow rookie WRs (including Kevin White, Breshad Perriman and Nelson Agholor) to produce right away. But historically speaking, it's been uncommon for first-year receivers to dominate immediately. In 2013, Keenan Allen finished 17th, the only rookie inside the top 30. In 2012, no rookies finished inside the top 20. A.J. Green and Julio Jones were good in 2001, but they finished "only" 16th and 18th, respectively. In other words, this is a difficult transition. Yes, Cooper already finds himself atop an NFL depth chart and I love his polish. But my tape study tells me Derek Carr deserved perhaps double his 12 interceptions last year, and there are other names (Michael Crabtree, Rod Streater and Andre Holmes) in Oakland. Overexcited fantasy owners will be tempted to take Cooper and his fellow rookies in Round 5. That could pay off because they're talented. But it could also look pretty bad by December."
Cooper set an SEC record with 124 receptions last season for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns. How well those numbers translate to the next level remains to be seen. But if Carr can continue to develop and build on the promise he flashed last year, then it's possible Cooper could be a reliable fantasy producer. One comparable could be Buffalo Bills WR Sammy Watkins.
Watkins persevered through injury and shoddy QB play to finish last season with 65 receptions for 982 yards and six touchdowns (124 fantasy points in standard leagues). Those numbers seem plausible for Cooper this season.
