Fantasy football WR scoring so far this season: JuJu > A.B. Mike Williams > Keenan Allen. Ridley > Julio. Will Fuller > Nuk. Robert Woods > Brandin Cooks.
Where have all the usual WR1s gone, and which of their upstart sidekicks have staying power in front of them?
If I were forced to choose one of the above tandems, I'm leaning toward Robert Woods over Brandin Cooks. Currently WR17 overall, Woods' preexisting rapport with Jared Goff is an obvious place to start, and the target advantage, albeit minor at 29-25, over Cooks at least partially reflects as much.
But Woods' 44.87 percent market share of the Rams' Air Yards, trailing only Julio Jones (57.17) and Odell Beckham (49.71) among all pass catchers, illustrates Woods isn't being used like a possession receiver, even if he's only averaging 11.7 yards per catch (compared to 31.45 and 17.7, respectively, for Cooks). Moreover, Next Gen stats reveals that Woods is creating an average of 3.4 yards of separation (Cooks is at 2.4), and though both have attracted five red-zone targets thus far — three fewer than Cooper Kupp's team-high 8 — Woods has already cashed in twice.
Cooks obviously has one elite tool in his belt unmatched by Woods — field-tilting speed — but don't be surprised when Woods continues emerging as the better bargain, not only for the Rams but fantasy owners. He should draw the more favorable matchups, such as Trae Waynes over Xavier Rhodes on Thursday, and he's been roundly praised in the building for his improvements with his hands and willingness to work in traffic, expanding his overall arsenal.
Of course, with Sean McVay's logical approach to play calling, we'll gladly take any of the top three Rams' receivers on our squad.
1. Antonio Brown, Steelers vs. Ravens
2. Michael Thomas, Saints at Giants
3. Odell Beckham, Giants vs. Saints
4. Keenan Allen*, Chargers vs. Rams
5. A.J. Green*, Bengals at Falcons
6. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs at Broncos
7. Julio Jones, Falcons vs. Bengals
8. Stefon Diggs, Vikings at Rams
9. DeAndre Hopkins, Texans at Colts
10. Mike Evans, Bucs at Bears
11. Davante Adams, Packers vs. Bills
12. Adam Thielen, Vikings at Rams
13. Jarvis Landry, Browns at Raiders
14. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers vs. Ravens
15. Calvin Ridley, Falcons vs. Bengals
16. Kenny Golladay, Lions at Cowboys
17. Golden Tate, Lions at Cowboys
18. Robert Woods, Rams vs. Vikings
19. Will Fuller, Texans at Colts
20. Allen Robinson, Bears vs. Bucs
21. John Brown, Ravens at Steelers
22. Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos vs. Chiefs
23. Brandin Cooks, Rams vs. Vikings
24. T.Y. Hilton, Colts vs. Texans
25. Quincy Enunwa, Jets at Jaguars
26. Chris Godwin, Bucs at Bears
27. Nelson Agholor, Eagles at Titans
28. DeSean Jackson, Bucs at Bears
29. Sammy Watkins, Chiefs at Broncos
30. Marvin Jones, Lions at Cowboys
31. Alshon Jeffery, Eagles at Titans
32. Keelan Cole, Jaguars vs. Jets
33. Tyler Boyd, Bengals at Falcons
34. Michael Crabtree, Ravens at Steelers
35. Mike Williams, Chargers vs. 49ers
36. Tyler Lockett, Seahawks at Cardinals
37. Cooper Kupp, Rams vs. Vikings
38. Demaryius Thomas, Broncos vs. Chiefs
39. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals vs. Seahawks
40. Amari Cooper, Raiders vs. Browns
41. Ted Ginn, Saints at Giants
42. Sterling Shepard, Giants vs. Saints
43. Corey Davis, Titans vs. Eagles
44. Chris Hogan, Patriots vs. Dolphins
45. Geronimo Allison, Packers vs. Bills
46. Antonio Callaway, Browns at Raiders
47. Jordy Nelson, Raiders vs. Browns
48. Kenny Stills, Dolphins at Patriots
49. Dede Westbrook, Jaguars vs. Jets
50. Marquise Goodwin, 49ers at Chargers
51. Kelvin Benjamin, Bills at Packers
52. Albert Wilson, Dolphins at Patriots
53. Brandon Marshall, Seahawks at Cardinals
54. Ryan Grant, Colts vs. Texans
55. Taylor Gabriel, Bears vs. Bucs
56. Josh Gordon, Patriots vs. Dolphins
57. Cole Beasley, Cowboys vs. Lions
58. Danny Amendola, Dolphins vs. Patriots
59. Christian Kirk, Cardinals vs. Seahawks
60. Courtland Sutton, Broncos vs. Chiefs