The Buffalo Bills are set to face off with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in a game that does not hold quite as much hype as expected. The 9-2 Bills have built up a comfortable lead in the AFC East, while the 49ers have dropped to 5-6 with injuries taking a significant toll.
One of the most noteworthy storylines surrounding the Bills continues to be the usage of Amari Cooper. Buffalo added to their wide receiver room mid-season, trading draft picks to add the five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
Cooper has battled a wrist injury since coming to Buffalo. He has played in just three of a possible five games with the Bills but is expected to be a full-go this week. Through the three games he has played, Cooper has been limited to seven receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown.
There are no doubts about the ability of Cooper, there are fair concerns about whether his opportunity will increase in time for it to matter this season. Cooper is a potential league-winner caliber of talent if things click, but let’s dive into expectations for Week 13.
Analysis
So far this season the Bills rank third in scoring and 13th in total yards. They rank 13th in passing yards, seventh in passing touchdowns and sixth in net yards per pass attempt across the NFL. While they carry a reputation as a defensive-minded team, San Francisco has not had the same level of impact this year. The 49ers rank 20th in points allowed, sixth in yards given up, sixth in passing yards allowed and 11th in passing touchdowns conceded.
Cooper got off to a strong start to his Bills’ tenure, tallying four receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown in his Week 7 debut. He then had just one reception for three yards in Week 8, missed Week 9 and Week 10 due to injury, and recorded two catches for 55 yards in Week 11. The Bills had their bye week last week and now Cooper will return at full strength heading into this matchup.
Overall, Cooper has run just 61 routes which he has only turned into 10 targets since joining Buffalo. He has not logged more than 51% of offensive snaps in a game yet in a Bills uniform.
The hope is that Cooper is now fully healthy and, after the bye week, is fully familiar with the team. It is always difficult for a player who changes teams mid-season. What his level of opportunity looks like this week following the bye will say a lot about his outlook for the remainder of the season.
Bottom Line
The appeal of Cooper is clear. He has recorded seven seasons with over 1,000 yards receiving, including 1,250 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 15 games last year with the Browns.
It is a gutsy play, but I like Amari Cooper to break out this week. They brought in the veteran for a reason, with the production of Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman not being up to the Super Bowl standard the Bills are hoping to reach. If things click for Cooper, he can be a fantasy football league winner and drastically lift the ceiling of this Bills team.
This will be a make-or-break matchup for Cooper’s fantasy outlook, but I am banking on the talent to rise to the top. This has been a down year by his standards but there is still time to right the ship and end on a high note.
With San Francisco’s defense struggling more than expected and the additional time to prep for Cooper, look for this to be his best fantasy output in a Bills uniform thus far.
Start or Sit Amari Cooper? Start.
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