BrandinCooks

News: 2 days agoCooks (knee) was not activated by the Cowboys on Saturday and will not play against the Commanders on Sunday, Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports.

Spin: A right knee infection landed Cooks on injured reserve Oct. 5, and he's since missed more than the required four games. The veteran receiver was designated to return from IR on Wednesday and was able to participate in a limited fashion in all three of Dallas' practices this week, though Friday was a walkthrough session. Despite his return to practice, Cooks isn't ready to return to the field against Washington on Sunday, but there's a possibility he will be activated ahead of next Thursday's Thanksgiving game against the Giants.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: Cooks averaged 10.8 fantasy points during his first season with the Cowboys, making him barely a top-50 fantasy WR, with the highlight being a surprising eight touchdown receptions. The overall production, however, was below expectations. The 30-year-old Cooks boasts six seasons with more than 1,000 receiving yards for four other franchises, but he has been held to less than 700 yards in consecutive seasons, a troubling trend. The Cowboys throw a lot -- no team had more completions in 2023 -- but Cooks is no longer more than a reliable WR4 fantasy option, especially when his touchdown rate from last season regresses.