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What is Amari Cooper's fantasy value after being traded to the Browns?

Matt Harmon and Dalton Del Don discuss how Amari Cooper's fantasy value will be affected by the trade that sent him from the Dallas Cowboys to the Cleveland Browns.

Video Transcript

MATT HARMON: Big contract. Speaking of big contracts, speaking of wide receivers, Amari Cooper, his big ass contract, sort of at this point, it actually doesn't look that bad considering some of the other ones we've seen on the market. He was traded from the Dallas Cowboys to the Cleveland Browns.

They swap sixth round picks. And they get a fifth round pick to the Dallas Cowboys for Amari Cooper. Look, I think that I was kind of surprised. Well, when the reports got leaked that they were going to release Amari Cooper, I was like, man, somebody should just throw a day three pick at them.

Because clearly they want this contract off the books, the Dallas Cowboys. They kind of signal, hey, we're going to cut him. And he fetches a fifth round pick. Now, I think Amari Cooper is not a number one receiver. I think he's actually probably one of, if not the most, overrated receivers in the NFL. But that's my personal opinion about the player.

This move is great for Cleveland because their wide receiver depth chart is terrible. But I get where Dallas is coming from, especially on the back of then extending Michael Gallup. But what was your reaction to the Amari Cooper trade?

DALTON DEL DON: And I don't know how true it is, but reportedly, Cooper and Dak got into it in the locker room after the loss to the 49ers in the playoffs. So I instinctively lowered Cooper in my fantasy rankings with the move. But the more I think about it, going outdoors, obviously the downgrade at quarterback, but how much was the accuracy issue with Mayfield last year with the left shoulder injury? Will Deshaun Watson be the QB there?

And he should soak up all the targets in Cleveland. So I don't know. What do you think? Is it a downgrade? Upgrade? Neutral move for Cooper himself, fantasy value?

MATT HARMON: I would say that if Cooper had been back in Dallas this year-- Which you're right. Basically from the moment the 49ers game ended, it seemed like this divorce was coming. That was ironically one of the first few things on Jerry Jones' mind after this game, was like, hey man, I'm pretty disappointed with Amari Cooper.

But this is the second team that is soured on the Amari Cooper experience. Which I think goes to prove my point that he's not like this-- The league clearly doesn't view him as a bona fide number one receiver. I do not either. But he's going to be the number one target for the Browns.

I would say that if he had been back on the Dallas Cowboys, I'd have probably had him in like the low teens, early 20s because I think he's a player that kind of is what he is at this point. Where I think CeeDee Lamb has a chance to continue to ascend. And I kind of feel like he'll be in the low teens, early 20s for me at wide receiver on the Browns.

They're a team that's definitely not done at wide receiver. I don't know if they'll sign another big ticket guy on the market. But they certainly, I expect them, to draft somebody. Even if they are one of the most run heavy teams in the NFL, you can't be going out there with like Amari Cooper and then like Donovan Peoples-Jones and all these goofballs behind them, even if they did bring back Davis.

DALTON DEL DON: Even if Njoku is back.

MATT HARMON: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So I think it's kind of a maybe lateral move, less efficiency but more volume. He's just not a guy that's ever commanded a ton of targets. And I think there's a reason for that.

DALTON DEL DON: I think that's right. I lowered him too much originally. I think it's a neutral move. He should fall around the area-- It looks like his ECR in Fantasy Pros as a wide receiver, 24. That sounds about right to me. You can give or take three or four spots either way.

MATT HARMON: Yeah, for sure. This is such classic crutch analysis. But I would like him a lot in best ball because I think he's going to have big games. I think he could have been used more as a deep threat in the Dallas Cowboys offense. I think some of these vertical shots on play action will be really nice in the Browns offense.

But again, it's Baker Mayfield. If he's back, it's a lot of questions for Amari Cooper. And again, this is third team. Wide receivers changing teams typically isn't great unless you're Stef Diggs or unless you're DeAndre Hopkins or something like that. And Amari Cooper is 100% not either of those players.