For fantasy football managers deciding between choosing either Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy or Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper, who is throwing them the ball is a likely big factor in the decision.
But is it the only decision that matters in this case? Let’s take a look at the fantasy outlook for both players this week.
Should You Start Xavier Worthy or Amari Cooper This Week?
In the Pro Football Network Start/Sit Optimizer, PFN’s Consensus Rankings say that Worthy is the player to start. His projected 11.8 points include four receptions and 59 receiving yards. That stat line narrowly outperforms the consensus for Cooper (11.3 points, four receptions, and 55 receiving yards)
My ranking of these two wide receivers aligns with the consensus. Worthy’s potential explosiveness is too difficult to pass up when compared to Cooper.
Worthy’s Week 3 Fantasy Outlook
After a spectacular NFL debut two weeks ago against the Baltimore Ravens — one touchdown reception, one touchdown run, and 20.8 fantasy points — Worthy was a non-factor last week versus the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing with just 22 scrimmage yards and 4.2 fantasy points.
So, when it comes to Worthy’s production, which version are fantasy managers more likely to see on Sunday night? Until it becomes a trend the wrong way, I’m leaning toward the Week 1 version.
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Despite the disappointing numbers in Week 2, Worthy actually had one more target (four) than he had in Week 3 (three), so it’s not as if he has disappeared from the Chiefs’ offensive game plan.
Another reason that Worthy might more resemble the Week 1 version is Kansas City’s running back situation. With Isiah Pacheco (fibula) out of the lineup, the opportunity to use Worthy more in the running game is a definite possibility (he had one rush attempt for five yards last week).
Then there is the quarterback comparison. At the end of the day, would fantasy managers prefer to have Patrick Mahomes find their wide receiver or have Deshaun Watson throw the ball to their guy?
Cooper’s Week 3 Fantasy Outlook
Cooper’s 2024 season has redefined the term “slow start.” In two games, Cooper has five receptions for 21 yards and zero touchdowns. And it’s not as if he hasn’t had chances, as Cooper has the most targets on the Browns with 17.
However, among 27 players in the NFL that have been targeted at least 15 times this season, Cooper is the only one with a catch percentage under 30% (29.4%). This is also the first time Cooper has been held under 20 receiving yards in consecutive games since Weeks 5 and 6 of the 2018 season.
But for Cooper and fantasy managers, there is hope going forward. For all of his criticisms, Watson has been under pressure on dropbacks constantly this season. In fact, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Browns have allowed the second-most pressures the league (38).
But broken down by game, the pressures allowed by the Browns were significantly reduced in Week 2 (13) from Week 1 (25). In addition, Cleveland’s starting tackles — Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills — both missed the first two games with knee injuries. Both are listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants.
So, if you believe things are turning in the right direction for the Browns and their passing game, perhaps Cooper isn’t as far-fetched of a choice.
However, I’m in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to Cooper and the Browns’ passing game.