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Along with Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper headline a Dallas Cowboys wide receiver room that poses as one of the more deadlier groups in the NFL when healthy.
Even with quarterback Dak Prescott out for most of the season with an ankle injury, Cooper still held down the fort by posting his third straight 1,000-yard season and fifth one of his career. Opposite of him was the rookie out of Oklahoma Lamb, who lived up to his draft hype by hauling in 74 receptions on 111 targets for 935 yards and five touchdowns.
Both guys enter the season as top fantasy options entering the 2021 regular season but Cooper’s injury status will determine which one to roll with at the outset of the season.
Latest camp news
Week 2 preseason recap: Lamb caught one of his two targets for 13 yards in the Cowboys’ 20-14 loss to the Houston Texans. Cooper wasn’t targeted at all in the exhibition.
Week 1 preseason recap: Lamb saw one target in the 19-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. With Cooper still recovering, Lamb has the opportunity to assert himself as the team’s top receiver. However, the Cowboys are being cautious with their starters and will probably limit Lamb’s usage for the rest of the preseason.
8/9/21: Lamb didn’t appear in the team’s 16-3 loss in the preseason opener last Thursday but he’s producing at least one awe-inspiring highlight seemingly every day in camp, including the team’s scrimmage against the Los Angeles Rams in Oxnard, CA, on Saturday.
Cooper, meanwhile, is still rehabbing his ankle and has not practiced at all so far during training camp. His plan is to be ready in time for the team’s Thursday night opener at Tampa Bay.
Next preseason game: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Cowboys will play their fourth and final preseason game this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET when welcoming the Jacksonville Jaguars to AT&T Stadium. With Dallas’ Thursday night season opener at Tampa Bay quickly approaching, it’s unclear how they’ll approach using Lamb, Cooper, or the rest of their starters for their preseason finale.
Fantasy football verdict
Heading into Week 3 preseason: All signs point to Cooper being good to go in time for the start of the regular season and if healthy, he’s a WR1 quality player for any league. Lamb is a fast rising star in his own right and has WR2 potential for fantasy teams.
Heading into Week 2 preseason: Given Cooper’s lack of participation in preseason and the Cowboys withholding Lamb from participation, it’s hard to tell who is Dallas’ top receiver. Cooper has the chemistry with QB Dak Prescott but Lamb had a big rookie season and is on the rise. It’s good to have a lot of weapons across the board and both receivers should benefit from each other’s presence. This is another case of a team having two fantasy-relevant receiving options.