Will Amari Cooper be back in the lineup when Bills take on the Chiefs in Week 11?
The Buffalo Bills will play their biggest game of the season in Week 11 when they host the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Over the past few seasons, the Bills and Chiefs have developed quite the rivalry in the AFC as two of the best teams in the conference. Sunday will be no different as the Bills come in at 8-2 and will hope to hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season.
Earlier this year, the Bills traded for wide receiver Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns to help them get over the hump in these big games. Cooper has missed the last two games with an injury, but will hope to be back in the lineup on Sunday.
Amari Cooper Injury Status
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, wide receiver Amari Cooper will once again be officially listed as questionable in Week 11 against the Chiefs. Cooper was limited in practice all week, but Rapoport says that Cooper is expected to play. Cooper was asked earlier this week by reporters whether he thought he’s heading towards playing Sunday. The Bills wide receiver responded with, “Yeah, I do.”
Cooper has limited in practice the last two weeks and listed as questionable only to not play. However, head coach Sean McDermott and Cooper both seem more optimistic about his status heading into Sunday. Still, he is a player to monitor on Sunday as the Bills play the Chiefs in the later afternoon slate at 4:25 p.m. ET.
What Amari Cooper injury means for fantasy football
The Bills offense will be short-handed as is heading into Sunday’s clash with the Chiefs. They will most certainly welcome Cooper back in the lineup after missing the last two games. Wide receiver Keon Coleman has already been ruled out along with tight end Dalton Kincaid.
That leaves Cooper as one of the top options in the Bills offense. However, despite Cooper potentially being available, he is a risky play outside of anything other than a flex. Even if Cooper plays, it is uncertain how effective he will be and how much of a rapport he has developed with quarterback Josh Allen.
This season, the Chiefs have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers on a per game basis. Even with Cooper in the lineup, Khalil Shakir likely remains the top receiving option in the offense. He’s the player that Allen trusts the most. Over the past two weeks, Shakir has a 21.1 percent target share with the next closest Bills receivers being Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel at 11.8 percent.
The player to watch for the Bills will be tight end Dawson Knox. With Kincaid out, Knox will see a majority of the snaps at tight end. The Chiefs have struggled at times defending opposing tight ends, allowing Isaiah Likely to have 111 yards in Week 1 as well as big games to Mike Gesicki, George Kittle, and Cade Otton.
Cooper is primarily a threat on the outside which is a reason why the Bills traded for him earlier this season. However, that also would put him up against one of the best boundary cornerbacks in Trent McDuffie. Given the matchup and that Cooper still isn’t quite 100 percent, it may be beneficial to wait another week on inserting the Bills wide receiver into fantasy lineups.
