It’s all hands on deck for Buffalo’s receiving room against the Broncos. Injuries have stretched this group as far as it can go, forcing them to rely on anyone and everyone. Brandin Cooks will muster everything he’s got against arguably the best secondary in the NFL to propel Buffalo to the AFC Championship game.
Here’s a look at my favorite Brandin Cooks prop on DraftKings Sportsbook to consider from this contest.
Best Brandin Cooks Prop Bet on DraftKings Sportsbook
Brandin Cooks Longest Reception Over 16.5 Yards (-115)
Cooks is the NFL embodiment of the “accidentally became important at work” meme. He had spot duties with the Saints before joining the Bills for the stretch run, providing depth to an inconsistent, young receiving corps. With the hits Buffalo has taken, Cooks is not only needed — but flat-out essential.
Gabe Davis, Josh Palmer, and Tyrell Shavers have all landed on the IR in the past few weeks. Shavers tore his ACL during their Wild Card matchup with the Jaguars and somehow played significant snaps in the second half despite the injury. Now Buffalo’s wide receiver group is down to three men: Cooks, Keon Coleman, and Khalil Shakir. And Cooks has stepped up more than anyone.
In his first four games with the Bills, Cooks played only 29.5% of the offensive snaps and garnered just one catch over those four games. That jumped dramatically in Week 17 against the Eagles, when Cooks was on the field for 51.3% of the snaps and caught four of six passes for 101 yards. That was nearly 40% of his regular-season yards production.
He maintained a high snap count in the Wild Card round at 47.6%, catching three passes for 58 yards. It was almost like Cooks turned back the clock, finding himself on the receiving end of some absurd deep balls.
This is a tough Denver secondary. Patrick Surtain II is going to be draped on Khalil Shakir like a winter jacket, and the Broncos have plenty of other playmakers on the back end. But with Buffalo’s run game likely to struggle, there will be times when Josh Allen has to push the ball downfield. And Cooks will be there to make a play.
