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The Dallas Cowboys took care of some important business this offseason, re-signing wide receiver Amari Cooper to a nine figure contract. Cooper had the best season of his career, catching 79 passes for 1,189 yards and eight touchdowns. He was slowed at times by knee and ankle issues, but the Cowboys are comfortable with what he showed in a season-and-a-half following his trade from the Raiders.
As the 2020 NFL Draft nears, DraftKings Sportsbook has given us over/under totals on passing, receiving and rushing yards for individual players. Cooper’s over/under for receiving yards in 2020 is set at 1,175.5.
Prediction: Over 1,175.5
Cooper’s coming off the best season of his career, so I would not begrudge someone betting on a little bit of regression. Dak Prescott had the most prolific season of his career, and Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb did not exactly impress as complements to Cooper, leaving plenty of opportunities for the team’s leading wideout.
That being said, there are some reasons to stick with the over on Cooper receiving yards in 2020. The first is injuries. Cooper played all 16 games and was only listed twice as questionable, but he regularly dealt with ankle and knee issues in the back half of the season. Injuries are part of the game, so if you aren’t comfortable betting on 16 healthy games for Cooper, so be it. However, if Cooper can play all 16 games and avoid the same nicks that slowed him at times in 2019, he could take another step forward.
The Cowboys receiver corps was limited behind Cooper in 2019, and they have now parted ways with Cobb. While Cobb was not a prolific option, he tied for third on the team in targets with also departed Jason Witten. The Cowboys are a good bet to add a receiver in what is viewed by most as the deepest receiver class in a long time. That is a bit of a wild card, but given the uncertainty surrounding rookie pass catchers, I don’t think it hurts Cooper’s over chances.
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