Amari Cooper Update: Should he be in fantasy football lineups in Week 17?

Update: The Cleveland Browns are less than two hours from kickoff and they will play this game without their top receiver. According to multiple reports, including from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Cooper will be inactive tonight after trying to go through warmups.

This news helps fantasy football managers because if he was active, they would have had the tough decision of whether or not to play him considering the injury. Now, they can move him to the bench, or even drop him to create a roster spot.

Amari Cooper was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week after an incredible performance in Week 16 against the Houston Texans. For any fantasy football managers who had him in their lineup, they were very happy as he had 11 receptions, 265 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.

The week prior to that, Cooper had four receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown but this week his availability looks to be in jeopardy. The Browns are playing the New York Jets on Thursday night football and Cooper is dealing with a knee injury, according to the Cleveland Browns' website.

The Browns wide receiver was unable to practice on Monday and Tuesday but is listed as questionable for Week 17.

Should Amari Cooper be in fantasy football lineups in Week 17?

It is a big week for most leagues with this being the popular week for championships. If it was a normal week or if there were no injury concerns, then Amari Cooper should be in lineups even with it being a tough matchup.

The Jets have allowed the fewest points to wide receivers this season due in large part to Sauce Gardner. The Jets' top cornerback will likely be lined up against Amari Cooper if he is on the field Thursday night.

However, with the injury and combined with the matchup it would be a good week to keep Amari Cooper on the bench. It would be tough to bench a wide receiver who has had over 300 receiving yards and three touchdowns the past two weeks. He should still get some targets but he probably doesn't get close to 100 receiving yards this week.

It would not be surprising if the game plan this week was for Cooper to draw Gardner's coverage and try to open up room for players like David Njoku, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman.

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