Darius Cooper 2026 fantasy outlook and rest-of-season projection
- Age
- 24
- Height / weight
- 5'11", 210 lb
- Experience
- 2nd season
2026 Season
- PPR PPG
- 3.5
- Pos rank
- WR99
- Rostered
- —
Week 4 vs. Rams, Sun Oct 4, 1:00 PM ET 19th vs. WRs, neutral
Darius Cooper Rest-of-Season Outlook
depth WR for deep leagues only
Preseason Projection vs. Reality
He finished WR157 last season at 1.5 points per game.
Our Take After Week 4
Through 3 games he's WR99 at 3.5 PPR points per game, against 1.5 over 12 games last season (WR157). He's running ahead of last season's pace.
Last season he ranked 122nd of 142 in target volume (2.4% target share), 127th of 142 in downfield role (2.4% air-yards share) and 115th of 142 in efficiency (0.95 yards per route run). Downfield role is the soft spot. Jalen Hurts is his quarterback.
He's WR2 on the depth chart, so his value depends on the players ahead of him.
Read our preseason outlook (June 2026)
Published June 17, 2026. Kept for reference; the take above replaces it.
Cooper's 2025 sample is tiny but tidy: across six games he ran just 97 routes (18.3% route share), drew 11 targets, and turned nine of them into 92 yards while catching 81.8% of what came his way. The underlying marks are encouraging for a Tarleton State undrafted type, with 0.353 EPA per play and a 54.5% success rate, yet the volume context is brutal, a 2.4% target share, 0.053 WOPR, and zero red-zone or end-zone looks. He profiles as a rotational depth piece who only spiked when starters rested in Week 18.
The roadblock is obvious: A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith own the snaps, leaving Cooper without a defined role. That's why he sits around WR244 in expert rankings with essentially no draft cost. Modest projections near 3.3 catches and 38 yards underline the ceiling. He's a watchlist name, nothing more, until an injury or depth-chart shakeup actually opens targets.
What Drives His Outlook
His 2025 rank among the 142 receivers who played at least six games. Each bar is one receiver, best on the left; his is highlighted.
Target volume
Downfield role
Efficiency
- Average depth of target
- 9.9
- Drop rate
- 0.0%
- Red-zone targets
- 0
- Route participation
- 18.3%
- YAC per reception
- 2.4
What Could Change His Value
Upside
- The scheduleNone of his next four opponents is a top-10 matchup for WRs.Wk 4 LAR, 19thWk 5 JAX, 18thWk 6 CAR, 31stWk 7 DAL, 17th
Risk
- RoleHe's WR2 on the depth chart.
- Low target volume2.4% target share, 122nd of 142 WRs in 2025.
- A tough matchupThe Panthers in Week 6 (31st) is among the stingiest defenses against WRs.
All Darius Cooper stats & analysis
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Darius Cooper Fantasy Outlook FAQ
What is Darius Cooper's fantasy outlook for the rest of the 2026 season?
Darius Cooper projects as a depth WR for deep leagues only for the rest of the 2026 season: waiver-wire material in 12-team PPR, 10-team PPR and half-PPR leagues. His downfield role (2.4% air-yards share, 127th of 142 WRs in 2025) holds him back. See his live rank in Redraft Command.
What is Darius Cooper's rest-of-season fantasy ranking?
Darius Cooper is the WR99 in PPR points per game through Week 4. That puts him in depth WR territory, waiver-wire material in 10-team PPR leagues.
What is Darius Cooper's projected role going forward?
Darius Cooper is WR2 on the depth chart, so a bigger role needs an injury or a change ahead of him.
Will Darius Cooper get more targets?
Darius Cooper's targets are holding steady: 1.5 a game over his last two games against 1.0 for the season. His share of the offense is what his fantasy value rides on.
What is Darius Cooper's fantasy football upside?
Darius Cooper's upside: his ceiling this season is 10.6 PPR points (Week 2, WR32).
What could hurt Darius Cooper's fantasy value?
Darius Cooper's risks: his downfield role (2.4% air-yards share, 127th of 142 WRs in 2025) limits his scoring and the Panthers in Week 6 is a tough matchup. See his injury status and history.
How difficult is Darius Cooper's remaining fantasy schedule?
Favorable: of his next seven games, 2 come against a top-10 matchup for WRs and 1 against one of the stingiest defenses, by PPR points allowed to the position.