After taking pass rusher David Bailey with the second overall pick in the NFL Draft and adding Kenyon Sadiq at pick No. 16, the Jets traded back into the end of the first round for a third selection and added wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. from Indiana. Cooper suffered a high-ankle sprain in his NFL debut, though, and landed on IR. After missing four games, he is officially eligible to return to the active roster, but when he does get back in action, will he be a good fantasy football addition? Should you move now and stash him from the waiver wire before Week 6?
Let’s dive in and take a look at Cooper’s road to this point and the latest info on his injury. We’ll also take a look at his fantasy football outlook for the rest of the season to see if it makes sense to aggressively add him at this point in his return.
Omar Cooper Jr. Injury Update
The Jets designated Cooper to return from injured reserve on Wednesday, opening the door for a possible Week 6 return. Before landing on IR, he caught one pass for 30 yards on the same play he picked up the injury against the Titans.
He was considered week-to-week with the high-ankle sprain, and he ultimately missed the last four games on IR.
The Jets designated him for return from injured reserve on Wednesday, and he was a limited participant on both Wednesday and Thursday and was a full participant on Friday. While he was listed as questionable for Week 6’s matchup against the Patriots, he is reportedly ready to return, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Omar Cooper Jr. Fantasy Football Outlook
Cooper could need some time to ramp back up after missing significant time, but he also has a chance to be involved right away, especially with Adonai Mitchell (finger) missing his third straight game. Cooper was projected to be the team’s second receiver ahead of Mitchell when both are healthy, but now both will need to get back to full speed behind Garrett Wilson ($6,800).
Last year at Indiana, Cooper played a key role in the Hoosiers’ championship run, totaling 69 catches for 937 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. He had the memorable toe-tap catch at Penn State to keep Indiana undefeated in early November. He was expected to be one of the top rookie receivers in this class before his injury sidelined him.
Long-term, Cooper could be a key contributor for the Jets, and he could be a fringe FLEX option for fantasy purposes, with offensive coordinator Frank Reich and QB Geno Smith ($4,900) making the Jets a much more fantasy-friendly option than they have been in the last few seasons.
If you are looking for wide receiver depth options, Cooper makes sense as an option to stash, although throwing him right into the lineup this week would be a high-risk play against the Patriots.
The Bottom Line: Stash Omar Cooper Jr. in Deep Leagues
Cooper is a strong option to add for down the road, especially with some favorable matchups against the Dolphins (twice), Raiders, Bills and Chargers in the coming weeks.
If he is ready for a substantial role this week, he could be a great bargain sleeper play at only $3,800 for this week’s DFS contests like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings. He is high-risk since he may still need to ramp up, but at that extremely low salary he would offer boom-or-bust upside.
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