Brandin

Cooks

Cooks also had a carry for a loss of five yards, finishing Week 18 with four touches for 10 yards. He dealt with knee issues, missing seven games in 2024. Catching just 7-of-17 targets between Weeks 17 and 18, Cooks finishes the season with 26 catches for 259 yards and three scores. The 31-year-old is set to hit free agency in the offseason. Though he was once an electric producer, Cooks’ fantasy outlook will depend on his 2025 landing spot and will likely be a low-end fantasy producer.

The Cowboys got Cooks involved early in this one. The veteran receiver hauled in a 16-yard reception on the second play of the game and made a 22-yard catch on Dallas’ second drive. Unfortunately, he would catch only two passes for 14 yards for the remainder of the day despite leading the team with eight targets. Cooks will likely see a similar role in Week 18’s season finale against the Commanders.

Cooks saw minimal volume but did enough to finish second on the team in receiving behind alpha receiver CeeDee Lamb, who briefly departed after landing hard on his injured shoulder for the third time in the previous four games. This one felt more significant than the previous times as Lamb was used sparingly in the second half, something fantasy managers of either will want to track in the coming week of practice. The Cowboys travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in Week 17.

Cooks finished second on the team in targets, catches, and yards, but failed to find himself on the receiving end of any of Cooper Rush’s three touchdowns tosses. Those went to CeeDee Lamb, Jalen Tolbert, and Jalen Brooks. Cooks has operated as the Cowboys’ No. 2 receiver since returning to the lineup in Week 13. Despite the notable role, his 34 yards today are a high-water mark since his return. He barely registers as a WR6 heading into his Week 16 date with the Bucs.

Cooks’ only reception went for a three-yard score in the third quarter to knot the game at 17. Quarterback Cooper Rush targeted a ridiculous 11 pass-catchers, leaving only CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson to see more than a modest four targets. Up next for Cooks and the Cowboys are the Panthers on the road in Week 15.

“He’s been a strong presence in the locker room but the production these past two seasons in Dallas have fallen well short of the expectation,” Yousuf writes. Cooks produced a 54/657/8 season in 2023, but has missed much of this year with a knee infection and has just a 12/107/2 line in five starts. Cooks is a free agent at the end of the season and, entering his age-32 season, is likely closer to not being a big part of an NFL offense ever again than he is of a rebound year in 2025.

Cooks had the most targets of any Dallas receiver in a game where CeeDee Lamb left with a possible injury and couldn’t catch the ball (two catches, three drops). His last reception was the biggest; a diving catch that picked up a first down and let Dallas run out the clock. Outside of that, it was a nondescript game for Cooks in his first action since September 26 due to a knee injury. He could be in for a high-target count again if Lamb can’t go in Week 14 against the Bengals.

He’ll be active on Thursday night. We have low expectations after seven missed games and with Cooper Rush at quarterback, but the Cowboys do somehow seem to be the less dysfunctional of the two teams and one deep pass is all Cooks needs to have a fantasy football day worth mentioning. You can probably do better for your FLEX spot unless you’re in an extremely deep league.

Lamb has now been listed as limited on back-to-back days due to back and foot issues. The limited status and the fact that he played through the same injuries Week 12 indicate Lamb should be good to go for the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving game against the Giants. Also listed as limited for the second straight day was WR Brandin Cooks (knee), whose 21-day window to be activated off injured reserve is open. While Lamb is likely to play, Cooks is more of a question mark as he has missed seven straight games.

Cooks saw his 21-day practice window opened prior to the team’s Week 12 contest against the Commanders, ultimately held out of action for the seventh consecutive game. Executive Vice President Stephen Jones said earlier Monday that he expects Cooks to be able to play against the Giants on Thanksgiving day, a notion that should be either confirmed or denied once the team hits the practice field on Tuesday.