It’s been a trying season for the Philadelphia Eagles. Injuries are piling up across the offense, including among their wide receivers. Top wideout DeVonta Smith missed Week 5 against the Jaguars, and his status for Week 6 against the Panthers is up in the air. If Smith remains out, does this make Darius Cooper a waiver wire sleeper?
Week 5 Analysis
Somehow, Cooper keeps getting it done. The second-year wideout caught a touchdown against the Jags, scoring for the third time in his last four games. Amid a struggling offense, Cooper keeps delivering big plays at critical moments. On the season, Cooper has scored four touchdowns on seven receptions, reeling in half of Philly’s total passing touchdowns.
Of course, Cooper’s excellent Week 5 comes with the caveat that DeVonta Smith was sidelined. Philly had enough confidence in Smith to trade away AJ Brown without a bona fide replacement, which says a lot about what they think of the 28-year-old. They drafted Makai Lemon to contribute immediately and traded for Dontayvion Wicks to fill a starting role. Cooper was effectively buried on the depth chart; and yet, here he is.
We’ve seen Cooper’s production, but can he sustain it heading into Week 6?
Fantasy Verdict
Here’s a real problem for Cooper: opportunity. He led all Eagles receivers in snaps in Week 5 but ranked far down the target list, getting only three looks. That placed him behind Dallas Goedert, Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon, and Dameon Pierce. He ended up with another productive fantasy week due to two big plays, but it’s kind to call this unsustainable.
So far, Philadelphia is 29th in scoring offense, largely due to Jalen Hurts and the passing offense struggling to make an impact. The Eagles are 30th in net yards per passing attempt and 28th in total passing yards. Without Cooper’s insane touchdown spree, he wouldn’t be close to having fantasy value.
It’s certainly a good sign that Cooper gets a lot of big plays and red-zone looks, but with Philly’s passing game in the dirt, DeVonta Smith’s absence doesn’t create a whole lot of fantasy production for his backups. I’d take Cooper as a speculative pickup, but don’t overpay for what he’s done so far; pay him for what you think he’ll be.
