New England Patriots - Fantasy News

Who to Start: Brandin Cooks or Alshon Jeffrey?

by Mike Rose

1/25/18

NFL

New England Patriots

Brandin Cooks

Super Bowl LII will take place in less than two weeks at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, MN, when the AFC champion New England Patriots take on the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Both teams entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in their respective conferences. A lot of attention will be centered on each squad’s starting quarterback, but there are obviously many others that will shine on the big stage.

Two players in that category had big performances in their respective conference title games last week. New England’s Brandin Cooks and Philly’s Alshon Jeffrey combined for 11 receptions for 185 yards and two touchdowns a week ago.

Let’s see how they build upon those performances in the game of their lives.

Fantasy Matchup: Brandin Cooks (12.0 PFP) vs. Alshon Jeffrey (10.5 PFP)

Cooks is coming off a clutch performance in the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He hauled in six passes on eight targets for 100 yards. But he didn’t record a touchdown and actually has yet to do so in the playoffs. On the season, he averaged 12.0 Dober Fantasy Points, which was about a point-and-a-half more than Jeffrey, so he enters this matchup as the 1.5-point favorite.

Cooks made 65 receptions and hauled in seven touchdown passes during the regular season. He ranked second on the team with 1,082 yards, only two yards behind Rob Gronkowski. So far in the postseason, he has hauled in nine catches for 132 yards. While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, his 100-yard performance against the Jaguars could be a building block for the veteran wideout as the Big Game approaches.

In Super Bowl LII, New England’s No. 2 passing attack (276.1 yards) and No. 2 scoring offense (28.6 points) will face a salty Philadelphia defense. The Eagles rank No. 17 in passing yards allowed (227.3) while their points allowed average ranks No. 4 (18.4) in the league. Cooks should definitely have an advantage against that middle-of-the-pack passing defense and have a decent chance of hitting his projected 12.0 Dober Fantasy Points.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears are likely kicking themselves for letting Jeffrey get away. All he did against the Minnesota defense in the NFC Championship Game was collect two clutch touchdowns on only five receptions. He’ll look to keep that momentum going against the No. 30 ranked pass defense of the Pats that gives up 251.2 yards through the air on a weekly basis.

Jeffrey recorded 789 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. In the playoffs so far, the South Carolina product has nine receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns. The only downside to penciling him in on your Dober Play Card is that the Eagles could run the ball a lot as they own the No. 3 rushing attack in the league (132.3 yards). The Patriots rush defense ranks No. 20 against opposing backfields with 114.8 rushing yards given up per game.

Both of these wideouts have had solid postseasons for their respective teams. When projecting who steps up more in by far the biggest game of their careers, I’m going to go with Jeffrey because we don’t know the status of Brady’s No. 1 target just yet. If Gronk plays, he’s the go-to guy and that could take away chances for Cooks.

So go with Jeffrey for your Dober Play Card this week as that’s the direction I’m leaning until we know more about No. 87.

Super Bowl Fantasy Matchup: Alshon Jeffrey (+1.5) vs. Brandin Cooks