Amari Cooper or DeAndre Hopkins: Who should I start in Fantasy Football Week 17?

DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper have been among the most prolific wide receivers in the NFL for years now.

Both are multiple Pro Bowlers and have been key contributors to multiple playoff teams. But in 2023, their current situations cannot be any more different.

The former is having a trying first season with the Tennessee Titans, while the latter, is enjoying a resurgence with the Cleveland Browns. So who is superior? This breakdown will help inform you of the right decision:

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Is DeAndre Hopkins a good fantasy pick in 2023?

DeAndre Hopkins after a receotion vs the Indianapolis Colts

When DeAndre Hopkins (WR #20, 9.3 points) joined the Titans during the offseason, it was widely seen as a massive move that would elevate their offense to the next level. Ryan Tannehill was finally going to have a top-shelf wideout again after AJ Brown's departure, while Derrick Henry would no longer have to carry most of the load.

Instead, it has turned into a disaster. The team struggled; Tannehill was benched for rookie Will Levis; and they will miss the playoffs for the second straight year with a double-digit loss record. Amidst all that, however, Hopkins is nearing 1,000 yards, the first time he can achieve this since 2020.

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Is Amari Cooper a good fantasy pick in 2023?

Amari Cooper runs a route v Los Angeles Rams

Amari Cooper (WR #18, 8.8 points) had always been a prolific offensive weapon with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, but his importance was not fully realized until he joined the Browns. In his first season with them, they had a middling 7-10 record as Deshaun Watson served his suspension.

But in 2023, he has become an indispensable already reached a career-best 1,250 yards and scored five touchdowns, helping them to a monstrous 10-5 record and an outside chance to clinch their first division title since the franchise was reactivated in 1999. Even more impressively, Cooper has had to work with four different starting quarterbacks (Watson, PJ Walker, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, and now Joe Flacco).

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Whom should I start between DeAndre Hopkins and Amari Cooper?

DeAndre Hopkins vs. Amari Cooper fantasy stats

The Start/Sit Optimizer, as usual, suggests choosing the player who is still in the playoff hunt.

While the Cleveland Browns are mostly buoyed offensively by their running back committee led by Jerome Ford, their air game has proven itself as one to not be ignored, and Amari Cooper is its face.