Exploring the fantasy angle of Brandin Cooks’ return

Things haven’t exactly been smooth between Brandin Cooks and the Houston Texans recently. Despite being a prime trade candidate, Cooks was not moved at the deadline and was not happy about that. Two days after the deadline, when the Texans hosted the Philadelphia Eagles, Cooks was not active. But it looks as though he will be back on the field for Houston’s Week 10 game against the New York Giants.

Late Saturday night, Adam Schefter tweeted that Cooks “made the trip to New York and is expected to play vs. the Giants.”

Texans’ WR Brandin Cooks, listed as questionable for Sunday due to a wrist injury, made the trip to New York and is expected to play vs. the Giants, per source. Cooks wanted to be traded before deadline but wasn’t.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2022

If nothing else, there’s some fantasy relevance here.

On the surface, it may like a bad week. Cooks has been out of action for a while, opposing receivers have done little against the Giants in fantasy this year and Cooks is limited by Houston’s offensive struggles. Digging a little deeper, though, there’s another way to look at this.

Certainly, those are relevant concerns. But let’s consider something else. Cooks has 32 receptions. That’s seven more than anyone else on the Texans and 14 more than the nearest receiver. His 354 receiving yards also lead the team, even with a missed game.

Also, let’s imagine that the New York will handily defeat Houston. If that happens, Cooks would be primed to get garbage time receiving yards. Conversely, if the Giants are smart, they will try to take Dameon Pierce out of the game, making Davis Mills beat them with his arm. That may not happen but even if it doesn’t, he’ll complete some passes. Chances are, Cooks will be on the receiving end of a few of those.

There are concerns, for sure. But we’re also into the bye weeks now, meaning the options are limited, particularly in deeper leagues. Knowing that, in most situations, Cooks is worth a gamble.