Brandin Cooks injury: What status means for Week 9 fantasy football

Game-day update: Cooks is officially inactive for Thursday Night Football vs. the Eagles.

Thursday Night Football is upon us and things do not look good for the Houston Texans. Besides facing the only undefeated team in the NFL and being 13.5-point underdogs, they also could be without their No. 1 receiver because he doesn’t want to play for them anymore.

Cooks appeared set to be traded to a contender before the trade deadline as reports swirled about interest from other teams, but in the end, nothing happened. Cooks was noticeably upset, posting a cryptic tweet and then not practicing Tuesday or Wednesday. He was officially designated as “wrist/not injury related” for his two absences. More accurately it should read, “wrist/feelings of betrayal,” put the NFL isn’t quite that transparent.

After not practicing those two days, he was listed as questionable. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero is not optimistic about Cooks chances of playing on TNF, but he wasn’t sourcing any insider knowledge with his assessment.

Fantasy football implications

Even if Cooks does play, his lack of practice is concerning, as is his commitment to the team. If he doesn’t play, Phillip Dorsett would appear the best flier to take of the remaining wide receivers with their No. 2 receiver, Nico Collins, out with a groin injury.