Amari Cooper Skipping Minicamp

What They're Saying

GM Andrew Berry in March: "Coop's a Pro Bowl caliber receiver. He's played really well for us the past two years. He's a strong presence in the locker room. We love him. Players like that, you want to make sure that you can retain as long as possible."

HC Kevin Stefanski refused to confirm that Cooper is skipping workouts over his contract. He did, however, say "there's been a dialogue" between Cooper's agent and the team.

QB Deshaun Watson on Cooper: "He's the best in the league. I believe it. He shows it each and every year. He's showed it the last two years with different quarterbacks, so I think you've got to put him up there with the best."

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

Cooper's historical production is undeniable. There are some questions/challenges to sort out ahead of 2024, though.

Cleveland traded for WR Jerry Jeudy and promptly extended his contract. That should make Jeudy more of an offensive factor than any No. 2 wideout of the past two seasons. Of course, Jeudy's coming off a disappointing year and acclimating to a new team. So we'll see about him.

Watson's coming off shoulder surgery and isn't yet back to full throwing. His status will bear watching after two straight lackluster campaigns in Cleveland.

And the whole offense must get used to new OC Ken Dorsey, who ran one of the league's most pass-heavy offenses in Buffalo before getting fired.

Ultimately, Cooper's worth betting on in his ADP range. But the contract situation will accentuate all these potential question marks more the longer he sits out.

Other Winners & Losers

Any time Cooper misses can only help Jeudy garner attention from Watson. But it'll be more important for the newcomer to prove he's actually worth our fantasy attention than whether Cooper's on the field for practices.

Even if the holdout bleeds into training camp, we'd bet on Cooper returning ahead of the season.

Projected ADP Movement

If Cooper's holdout drives his ADP down, he'll become a value. He has already been going slightly behind our ranking in best ball ADP.