The NFL has been rampant with wide receiver trades this season; several marquee names are in new homes ahead of the trade deadline. One of those receivers is Amari Cooper, who was dealt to the Buffalo Bills in an effort to give Josh Allen a true No. 1 receiver.
Cooper is still getting acclimated to the offense in Buffalo. He's yet to play more than 50 percent of snaps in a single game after joining the team two weeks ago. He remains in the loading phase while he learns the playbook and builds a relationship with Allen.
Week 9 may have been the first time the Bills unleashed Cooper, allowing him to finally play a full complement of snaps. However, his coming out party may be put on hold as Cooper has been dealing with a wrist injury.
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Will Amari Cooper play this week? Injury update on Bills' WR
Cooper was able to return to play against the Seahawks last week after hurting his wrist, but this issue has limited him in practice this week. He has been a limited participant in all three of the Bills' practice sessions leading up to Sunday's game. The lack of full participation has led to Cooper drawing a questionable tag on the final injury report.
Friday injury report pic.twitter.com/93nlNJdZyz
— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) November 1, 2024
As of now, there has been no indication from the team or NFL insiders as to whether Cooper will be able to suit up this week. Even if Cooper is able to go, his injury could easily drive the team to keep him on a snap count as we've seen in previous weeks. Be sure to check back here often as we'll be giving updates on Cooper's availability and projected workload as they become available.
Bills' WR Depth Chart: Who is Amari Cooper's Backup?
The Bills played six games this season without Cooper on the roster, so we know how this team functions without him. Expect the coaching staff to deploy a rotation of receivers with Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Mack Hollins, and potentially Curtis Samuel (pectoral) seeing snaps.
If Cooper doesn't play, Josh Allen will likely lean on Coleman and Shakir against the Dolphins this week. Shakir has been a consistent underneath receiver while Coleman has come on in recent weeks as an explosive playmaker. Expect them to be two of Buffalo's featured weapons if Cooper is absent.
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Amari Cooper fantasy outlook Week 9
Cooper was able to produce in his first game with the team, putting together a WR14 performance despite playing less than 40 percent of the snaps. He remained in a limited role last week, playing 50 percent of snaps. Unsurprisingly, he struggled to produce in a limited role, scoring just 1.3 PPR points.
The injury, coupled with his lack of familiarity with the offense, may lead to Cooper taking on a limited role once again. Until it's clear that Cooper is a full-time player, it's hard to trust him in fantasy lineups. He comes in at WR32 in our WR Rankings and is an option for teams that lack depth or are dealing with injuries to other receivers.
