NFL
Week 15 NFL Advanced Analytics Superstars
LeSean McCoy took advantage of a juicy matchup, dominating the Cleveland Browns. Which other players helped their teams the most in Week 15?

Wide Receiver: Brandin Cooks

Brandin Cooks, WR, New Orleans Saints
7 Receptions, 186 Yards, 8 Targets, 2 Touchdowns
Performance: 100, NEP: +18.25

The New Orleans offense came to life this week after a stagnant two-game skid. Drew Brees rebounded in a big way, throwing for 300-plus yards and 4 touchdowns, and Brandin Cooks was the main recipient of most of that volume. Cooks hauled in 7 of 8 targets for a career-high 186 receiving yards while scoring 2 touchdowns.

In a 48-41 shootout with the Arizona Cardinals, the Saints' offense got back on track. Patrick Peterson shadow coverage was the big worry in this game, but with a healthy Michael Thomas back in the fold, Peterson didn't spend much time covering Cooks. It allowed Cooks to benefit in better matchups, producing a highlight-type game as he scored from both 65 and 45 yards out.

Cooks added +5.74 and +5.29 to his NEP on those respective touchdown plays, giving a big boost to his season-long NEP ranking. Cooks now ranks seventh among all receivers in Reception NEP and seventh in PPR fantasy scoring.

Cooks' big game this week netted him the top WR1 performance among all wideouts. While his week-to-week consistency has some variance, Cooks has the type of ceiling that wins fantasy matchups.

Best of the Rest:

Wide ReceiverRecRec YardsTgtsRec TDsPerformanceTotal NEP
Tyler Lockett71308196+13.24
Jordy Nelson712410082+10.53
Alshon Jeffery6899178+9.47
Odell Beckham6648176+8.00
DeSean Jackson711110075+8.80
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