I see where Deshaun Watson has had some good things to say about veteran wide receiver Amari Cooper. The Browns have a some talented players at the position (including Donovan Peoples-Jones and newcomer Elijah Moore), but Cooper is the clear No. 1. What he most needs is to show more of a rapport with Watson.
Cooper had a strong season a year ago, the 10th-best wide receiver in PPR leagues. But there's no getting around that he was considerably better with fill-in Jacoby Brissett in the lineup than Watson.
In 11 games with the backup, Cooper averaged over 5 catches for 72 yards, with 7 touchdowns. Only eight wide receivers averaged more fantasy points per game than he did (16.2), among those to play at least 12 games a year ago.
When Watson came in to start the final six games, Cooper tailed off. In those games he averaged 3 catches for 61 yards, with 2 touchdowns. That worked out to 11.6 points per game, which was outside the top 30 at the position.
| WIDE RECEIVERS PER GAME, 2022 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | St | No | Yds | TD | PPR |
| Justin Jefferson, Min. | 17 | 7.5 | 106.4 | .55 | 21.6 |
| JaMarr Chase, Cin. | 12 | 7.3 | 87.2 | .75 | 20.5 |
| Tyreek Hill, Mia. | 17 | 7.0 | 100.6 | .47 | 20.1 |
| Stefon Diggs, Buff. | 16 | 6.8 | 89.3 | .69 | 19.8 |
| Davante Adams, L.V. | 17 | 5.9 | 89.2 | .82 | 19.7 |
| A.J. Brown, Phil. | 17 | 5.2 | 88.0 | .65 | 17.9 |
| CeeDee Lamb, Dall. | 17 | 6.3 | 79.9 | .53 | 17.7 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown, Det. | 16 | 6.6 | 72.6 | .38 | 16.7 |
| Cooper (w/Brissett) | 11 | 5.2 | 72.0 | .64 | 16.2 |
| Jaylen Waddle, Mia. | 17 | 4.4 | 79.8 | .47 | 15.4 |
| Chris Godwin, T.B. | 15 | 6.9 | 68.2 | .22 | 15.1 |
| DeVonta Smith, Phil. | 17 | 5.6 | 70.4 | .41 | 15.1 |
| Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 16 | 5.3 | 64.6 | .56 | 15.1 |
| Mike Evans, T.B. | 15 | 5.1 | 74.9 | .40 | 15.0 |
| Tee Higgins, Cin. | 15 | 4.9 | 68.6 | .49 | 14.7 |
| Amari Cooper, Cle. | 17 | 4.6 | 68.2 | .53 | 14.6 |
| Christian Kirk, Jac. | 17 | 4.9 | 65.2 | .47 | 14.3 |
| Garrett Wilson, NYJ | 15 | 5.2 | 69.5 | .27 | 13.8 |
| Michael Pittman, Ind. | 16 | 6.2 | 57.8 | .25 | 13.7 |
| Jerry Jeudy, Den. | 15 | 4.5 | 64.8 | .40 | 13.6 |
| Mike Williams, LAC | 13 | 4.8 | 68.8 | .31 | 13.6 |
| DK Metcalf, Sea. | 17 | 5.3 | 61.6 | .35 | 13.6 |
| Brandon Aiyuk, S.F. | 17 | 4.6 | 59.7 | .47 | 13.5 |
| Chris Olave, N.O. | 15 | 4.8 | 69.5 | .29 | 13.5 |
| Terry McLaurin, Was. | 17 | 4.5 | 70.1 | .29 | 13.5 |
| Deebo Samuel, S.F. | 13 | 4.3 | 48.6 | .38 | 13.3 |
| Jakobi Meyers, N.E. | 14 | 4.8 | 57.4 | .45 | 13.2 |
| Marquise Brown, Ari. | 12 | 5.6 | 59.1 | .25 | 13.0 |
| Zay Jones, Jac. | 16 | 5.1 | 51.4 | .33 | 12.4 |
| JuJu Smith-Schuster, K.C. | 16 | 4.9 | 58.3 | .19 | 11.8 |
| DJ Moore, Car. | 17 | 3.7 | 52.2 | .41 | 11.7 |
| Allen Lazard, G.B. | 15 | 4.0 | 52.5 | .40 | 11.7 |
| Cooper (w/Watson) | 6 | 3.5 | 61.0 | .33 | 11.6 |
| Gabe Davis, Buff. | 15 | 3.2 | 55.7 | .47 | 11.6 |
| Brandin Cooks, Hou. | 13 | 4.4 | 53.8 | .23 | 11.2 |
| Drake London, Atl. | 17 | 4.2 | 50.9 | .25 | 10.9 |
| Diontae Johnson, Pitt. | 17 | 5.1 | 51.9 | .04 | 10.6 |
| Courtland Sutton, Den. | 15 | 4.3 | 55.3 | .13 | 10.6 |
| Adam Thielen, Min. | 17 | 4.1 | 42.1 | .37 | 10.6 |
| Josh Palmer, LAC | 16 | 4.5 | 48.1 | .21 | 10.6 |
| Curtis Samuel, Was. | 17 | 3.8 | 38.6 | .29 | 10.5 |
| Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 16 | 3.6 | 47.6 | .33 | 10.4 |
| Darius Slayton, NYG | 13 | 3.5 | 55.7 | .15 | 10.0 |
Table shows all wide receivers to play at least 12 games a year ago, plus Cooper's splits.
There are different ways to look at this. One is that Brissett was more inclined than Watson to lock in on his top target. Watson spread the ball around more, and we'll see that again this season.
But the other way, which to me is a little more likely, was simply that we didn't get a true look at Watson last season. Watson had nearly two years of rust to shake off, from not playing at all in 2021 and his 11-game suspension in 2022. He struggled through his six games in the lineup, which extended to his receivers, like Cooper.
Watson himself, I'm probably not gonna be drafting. I don't think we'll see the player we saw at the top of his game in Houston -- maybe not the same guy physically, and operating in more of a run-based offense with a star running back than was the case in his Houston heyday.
But I'm fine selecting Cooper. Even if Watson himself isn't the player he was, he's got to be better than the limited Brissett. I think we should see a wideout more similar to what he was at his best last year. The fact that Watson himself has been talking him up during workouts is a positive for the idea we'll get that kind of player.
--Andy Richardson