No. 3: Wide Receiver Amari Cooper
The Oakland Raiders flopped in Jon Gruden’s head coaching return on Monday Night Football, losing to the visiting Los Angeles Rams 33-13.
And while there are plenty of worries about Gruden, quarterback Derek Carr and the Raiders offense, there should be plenty more about wide receiver Amari Cooper. Why? Well, Cooper caught just one pass for nine yards during the game. That was it. He clearly wasn’t a focal point of Oakland’s offense, which led to a woeful 2.8 fantasy points in standard PPR leagues from Week 1.
While a road matchup against the Raiders’ AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, doesn’t figure to be a must-start ’em contest for Cooper, there are more than a few reasons to get the receiver back into a starting lineup.
“We’ll have to get Amari going this week (in Denver),” Gruden said, via ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez after the Raiders loss. “It’s easier said than done. When you’ve got (Bradley) Roby and Chris Harris and a fierce pass rush that doesn’t let you drop back and let these routes develop – you’ve got guys that can really hum around the edge – you’ve got to be creative in how you get guys the ball deep. And we’re going to have to try to get Amari going.”
If Oakland wants to find some success and bounce back from their ugly opener, Cooper will have to be a part of the equation. And while he might not be a top WR1 option in even deeper leagues, looking at him as a No. 2 or FLEX choice should have its merits.