Through the first six games of the season, Raiders WR Amari Cooper struggled mightily. The back-to-back Pro Bowler led the NFL in drops, had 146 total yards in the previous six games, and had the fourth-lowest reception rate in the NFL (46.2). Headlines began to swirl that incorporated the word ‘Bust’ in them, preemptively counting a guy out who racked up back to back 1,000 yard seasons before his 23rd birthday.
One AFC secondary coach told NFL.com, “He doesn’t respond well to press coverage and physicality. When defenders put their hands on him and knock him around a little bit, they can take him out of the game.”
Welp, Cooper dabbed on them haters with a career night–hauling in 11 receptions for 210 yards and 2 TDS. His 210 yards is the 2nd most in a game in Raiders history and most by any player in a game this season. He had 146 all season prior to Thursday night.
Fantasy owners who concluded that Amari had lost a step and benched him were a little dismayed when they realized they just burned 44 points.
Fantasy football is a fickle bitch.