2016 Fantasy Football Breakout Candidate: Amari Cooper

WR Amari Cooper | Oakland Raiders | 2nd Year

2015 Stats: 72 receptions for 1,070 yards, 6 TDs

Amari Cooper entered the NFL with high expectations last year, and he led all rookies in receptions and receiving yards while playing all 16 games. But a fast start (45 receptions for 662 yards and four touchdowns over the first eight games) dissolved into a bad finish (20 receiving yards or less in three of the last four games), due in part to a nagging foot injury late in the season.

Drops tend to be measured fairly subjectively, but the source I used (Sporting Charts.com) credited Cooper with a tied for second-most in the league 10 drops in 2015. That created an alarmingly low 55.4 percent catch rate (130 targets), which obviously needs to improve this year in line with better chemistry with quarterback Derek Carr. It’s worth noting that teammate Michael Crabtree was credited with eight drops by Sporting Charts.com last season, so that may speak to some shortcomings in accuracy or touch from Carr.

Fantasy Pros and Fantasy Football Calculator both have Cooper as the 12th wide receiver off the board in early drafts, which is obviously low-end WR1 territory in 12 or 14-team leagues and high-end WR2 territory in 10-team leagues. That’s where he should be drafted, but better health and the likelihood of better efficiency brings the potential for Cooper to finish 2016 as a top-10 fantasy wide receiver in all scoring formats.

2016 Projection

85 receptions for 1,200 yards, 8 TDs

Breakout Percentage

60%

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